Law enforcement investigating whether Iran strike was part of Austin mass shooter’s motivation, sources say

By Chris Boyette, Karina Tsui, John Miller, Holmes Lybrand, CNN

(CNN) — [Breaking news update, published at 4:06 p.m. ET]

Law enforcement is investigating whether the strike on Iran motivated the suspect in an early Sunday morning shooting in Austin’s entertainment district that killed two people and left 14 others wounded, multiple law enforcement officials briefed on the case said, though officials cautioned that it was too early to draw any conclusions. The suspect was also killed.

Authorities are also reviewing past mental health encounters the suspect had while living in Texas, the officials added.

[Original story, published at 2:48 p.m. ET]

The FBI is investigating a “potential nexus to terrorism” in a deadly mass shooting that erupted just before 2 a.m. CT Sunday in Austin’s entertainment district, leaving at least three people dead, including the suspected gunman, and 14 others wounded.

Three of those hospitalized are in critical condition, officials said.

“Obviously, it’s still way too early in the process to determine an exact motivation, but there were indicators on the subject and then his vehicle that indicate a potential nexus to terrorism,” Alex Doran, acting special agent in charge of the FBI San Antonio Division, said at a news conference Sunday morning.

The suspected gunman is originally from Senegal, according to a law enforcement official familiar with the investigation. The man appears to have arrived in the United States in the early 2000’s and initially settled in New York, the official told CNN. It’s not clear when the suspect arrived Texas, but he did have multiple addresses in the state, the official added.

CNN has reached out to the Austin Police Department and FBI San Antonio for more information on the suspect.

There have been at least 56 mass shootings in the US so far this year – defined as when at least four people are shot, not including the shooter – according to the Gun Violence Archive.

Authorities received a call about a man shooting from a large SUV, outside Buford’s Backyard Beer Garden at West Sixth and Rio Grande streets, according to Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis. The SUV had been spotted circling the block before the shooting, she said.

“At one point, he put his flashers on, rolled down his window, and began using a pistol, shooting out of his car windows, striking patrons of the bar that were on the patio and that were in front of the bar,” Davis she said.

The suspect then drove westbound on Sixth Street, parked his vehicle and got out on foot with a rifle, Davis said. He then began shooting at people walking by, she said.

Because police and emergency medical teams are predeployed downtown on weekends, authorities reached the suspect in less than a minute, Davis said.

“Our suspect was coming toward East Austin or East Sixth Street, officers were coming toward him, and at the intersection, he was shot and he was killed at this time,” Davis said.

Davis previously told reporters three officers “returned fire” when they encountered the suspect.

The bomb squad was called in after investigators saw items inside the suspect’s vehicle that raised concerns, Davis said, but the vehicle was “cleared pretty quickly,” and it was determined there were no explosives.

“This is a tragic, tragic incident,” Davis said. “Our federal partners are here, as well as others, and this will be a scene that will take several hours to process.”

The FBI San Antonio Division, which covers the Austin area, confirmed the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force has joined the investigation based on evidence found at the scene.

Paramedics embedded in the entertainment district with the Austin Police Department on weekends quickly responded, according to Robert Luckritz, Austin-Travis County Emergency Medical Services chief.

“We had more than 20 EMS resources that responded to the scene. We had all critical patients off the scene within 24 minutes, and all patients off the scene within 47 minutes,” Luckritz said.

“Our hearts go out to the people that are victims of this. And I want to again reiterate my thanks to our public safety officers and officials that so rapidly were on the scene,” Austin Mayor Kirk Watson said at the news conference. “They definitely saved lives.”

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott condemned the attack and said he ordered the Department of Public Safety to increase patrols and law enforcement personnel in the Sixth Street area on weekends.

“This act of violence will not define us, nor will it shake the resolve of Texans,” he said in a statement.

This is a developing story and will be updated.

The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2026 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.

CNN’s Amanda Watts and John Miller contributed to this report.