Austin shooting suspect wore Iranian flag shirt during attack, sources say
Authorities said they found an Iranian flag and photos of regime leaders in the apartment of the gunman in the shooting outside a bar in Austin, Texas, on Sunday morning.
The flag and the images were discovered during a search of the suspect’s home, according to CBS News, after the shooting early Sunday morning that left three people dead and 14 wounded.
The shooter was also wearing a sweatshirt that read “Property of Allah” and an undershirt featuring an Iranian flag when he carried out the attack, according to law enforcement sources.
The suspect, identified as Ndiaga Diagne, was a 53-year-old naturalized U.S. citizen who was born in Senegal and lived in Pflugerville, Texas, multiple federal law enforcement sources told Fox News.
Diagne first entered the U.S. in 2000 on a B-2 tourist visa before becoming a lawful permanent resident six years later after marrying a U.S. citizen. He became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 2013.
His criminal history includes being arrested in Texas in 2022 for collision with vehicle damage.
The shooting happened outside Buford’s Backyard Beer Garden shortly before 2 a.m. along Sixth Street, a nightlife destination filled with bars and music clubs located near the University of Texas at Austin.
Police Chief Lisa Davis said the gunman “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.” The suspect then drove westbound on Sixth Street to Wood Street, parked, exited the vehicle with a rifle and continued shooting at pedestrians, but he never entered the bar.
Police shot and killed the gunman, who used a pistol and a rifle in the shooting.
“Today is a difficult day for our city and the University,” the university’s president, Jim Davis, said on X. “We are deeply saddened by the tragedy that occurred early this morning in downtown Austin. Our prayers are with the victims and all those impacted, including members of our Longhorn family. We are also grateful to the first responders who acted quickly to save lives, and to our UT counselors and staff members who have provided care and support throughout the day.”
The FBI said the shooting was a possible act of terrorism, as authorities continue to investigate.
“Obviously, it’s still way too early in the process to determine an exact motivation, but there were indicators on the subject and in his vehicle that indicate potential nexus to terrorism,” Alex Dorn, acting special agent in charge of the FBI’s San Antonio Field Office, said at a Sunday press conference.
FEDS FILE SWEEPING TERRORISM CHARGES AGAINST SUSPECT IN DEADLY DC AMBUSH OF ISRAELI EMBASSY STAFFERS AT MUSEUM
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“Again, it’s still too early to make a determination on that. That’s why we are investigating it very closely with our partners with Austin police department,” Dorn added.
Asked by a reporter if the case involved domestic or international terrorism, Dorn said the Joint Terrorism Task Force is engaged.
“We’re just at this point prepared to say that it was potentially an act of terrorism,” he said.
US cleared to use British bases for limited strikes on Iranian missile capabilities
The U.S. has been cleared to use British bases for limited strikes on Iran’s missile capabilities after Prime Minister Keir Starmer signed off on the plan, and while U.K. Defense Secretary John Healey stated on Sunday Britain had “stepped up alongside the Americans.”
“The only way to stop the threat is to destroy the missiles at source, in their storage depots or the launchers which are used to fire the missiles,” Starmer confirmed in a recorded statement to the nation.
“The U.S. has requested permission to use British bases for that specific and limited defensive purpose,” he said. “We have taken the decision to accept this request.”
The decision came amid escalation across the Middle East in the wake of U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran and Tehran’s retaliatory missile and drone attacks, raising fears of a broader regional conflict.
On Feb. 28, in the wake of Operation Epic Fury, Starmer confirmed British planes “are in the sky today” across the Middle East “as part of coordinated regional defensive operations to protect our people, our interests and our allies.”
Healey went on to disclose Sunday that two Iranian missiles were fired in the direction of Cyprus, where Britain maintains key sovereign base areas.
The Royal Air Force confirmed that Typhoon jets operating from Qatar as part of the joint U.K.-Qatar Typhoon Squadron successfully intercepted an Iranian drone heading toward Qatar.
About 300 British personnel are stationed at a naval facility in Bahrain, where Iranian missiles and drones struck nearby areas.
“We’re taking down the drones that are menacing either our bases, our people or our allies,” Healey told “Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips” on Sky. “We’ve stepped up alongside the Americans. We’ve stepped up our defensive forces in the Middle East. We’re flying those sorties.”
ISRAEL’S LARGEST EVER MILITARY FLYOVER HAMMERS IRANIAN MILITARY TARGETS
Healey also made sure to stress that the U.K. had “no part” in the U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran and insisted all British actions were defensive. “All our actions are about defending U.K. interests and defending U.K. allies,” he said.
When asked if the U.K. would join the U.S. in offensive action, Healey said, “I’m not going to speculate,” according to Sky News.
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Downing Street also confirmed Feb. 28 that Starmer and President Donald Trump had spoken by phone about the “situation in the Middle East,” the BBC reported.
Fox News Digital has reached out to Downing Street for comment.
Iranian ‘dictator’ death celebrated on air by Sky News Australia presenter, telling him to ‘rot in hell’
Sky News Australia host and former Iranian citizen Rita Panahi celebrated the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in a scathing rebuke on air Saturday.
“This will be the shortest editorial I’ll ever deliver,” the “Outsiders” co-host said. “All I have to say is that after 47 years of Islamist tyranny, the dictator is dead, and Iran is on the verge of being liberated. I never thought I would see this day in my lifetime.”
She concluded her comments with what she called “gibberish Persian” that roughly translates to “Your father is a dog, dirt be on your head and rot in hell.” Her co-anchor Rowan Dean concurred and noted that the news was personal for Panahi.
“We have seen the pain that you have gone through with everything that’s been happening in Iran the whole time I’ve known you, and to hear you positive is just so good. It’s just so fantastic,” Dean said.
Panahi left Iran when she was a child and reiterated that, although she knew the regime would be toppled eventually, she never thought she would live to see it.
“If I went to Iran today, last week, I’d be trapped in prison and dead rather quickly… They would know what I’ve said about the regime, what I’ve written over many things and said on programs like this, so I’ve never been able to go back,” Panahi said.
EXILED IRANIAN CROWN PRINCE SAYS US STRIKES MARK ‘BEGINNING OF THE VERY END’ FOR REGIME
She added that she has not been able to visit family or bring her son to see the country and complimented President Donald Trump for taking the opportunity to topple the leader during an election year.
“Again, when I talk about Donald Trump and his courage in doing this… to do this in an election year with the midterms looming, this is not a popular course of action. It’s not even popular among many on his own side, who don’t want America to be involved in Iran’s internal politics to be seeking regime change. So for him to do this is such an enormous risk, but it’s the right thing to do even at personal political cost,” Panahi said.
LONGTIME TRUMP CRITIC GEORGE CONWAY SUGGESTS US IS ‘TERRORIST STATE’ AFTER IRAN STRIKES
Fox News Digital reached out to Sky News Australia for comment.
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Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was confirmed dead, along with 5-10 top leaders, after an Israeli strike in Tehran as part of a massive coordinated U.S.-Israeli military offensive called “Operation Epic Fury” announced early Saturday morning.
Tomahawks, B-2 stealth bombers and attack drones pound over 1,000 Iranian targets in 24-hour blitz
U.S. forces launched a sweeping military assault on Iranian targets on Saturday, unleashing overwhelming air, sea and missile power in a coordinated operation with Israel.
The mission — dubbed “Operation Epic Fury” — began at 1:15 a.m. and struck more than 1,000 sites across Iran within its first 24 hours, according to U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM). Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and dozens of senior regime officials were eliminated in the strikes.
The barrage featured B-2 stealth bombers, F-22 and F-16 fighter jets, A-10 attack aircraft, EA-18G electronic warfare planes, and an array of airborne early warning and communications platforms, CENTCOM said.
Missile defense systems, including Patriot interceptors and THAAD anti-ballistic missile defenses, were deployed as part of the operation.
Other assets included RC-135 reconnaissance aircraft, MQ-9 Reaper drones, HIMARS rocket systems, nuclear-powered aircraft carriers, guided-missile destroyers, refueling tankers, and C-17 and C-130 transport aircraft, CENTCOM said.
The command also released images of Tomahawk cruise missiles, as well as F-18 and F-35 fighter jets roaring into combat, according to Reuters.
CENTCOM additionally confirmed it deployed one-way attack drones in combat for the first time.
DOZENS OF TOP IRANIAN REGIME OFFICIALS, SUPREME LEADER KILLED IN ISRAELI STRIKES
The Low-Cost Unmanned Combat Attack System — known as LUCAS — is modeled after Iran’s Shahed drones.
“CENTCOM’s Task Force Scorpion Strike — for the first time in history — is using one-way attack drones in combat during Operation Epic Fury,” CENTCOM wrote on X. “These low-cost drones, modeled after Iran’s Shahed drones, are now delivering American-made retribution.”
Developed by Arizona-based engineering firm SpektreWorks, the LUCAS drone can be launched from catapults, vehicles or mobile ground platforms, according to Business Insider.
The drones cost roughly $35,000 each, Reuters reported.
KEY MILITARY SITES TARGETED INSIDE IRAN AS PART OF COORDINATED US-ISRAELI STRIKES
The strikes targeted command and control centers, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Joint Headquarters and Aerospace Forces Headquarters, integrated air defense systems, ballistic missile sites, Iranian Navy ships and submarines, anti-ship missile sites and military communications infrastructure, according to CENTCOM.
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Iran retaliated by launching waves of missiles across the Middle East, targeting major U.S. bases in Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates, Business Insider reported.
Three U.S. service members were killed and five others were “seriously wounded” as part of Operation Epic Fury, CENTCOM said Sunday morning. The joint military operation is expected to carry on for days.
CENTCOM did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
McCarthy urges Democrats to ‘do your job’ as DHS funding stall heightens security concerns
Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., is sounding alarms as the FBI places its counterterrorism teams on high alert, warning Democrats that stalling funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) could carry serious national security consequences.
“If there is some type of attack within America, it is going to be on the Democrats who faulted by not funding DHS during this critical time andallowing the border to be open during [the Biden administration],” McCarthy told “The Sunday Briefing.”
“If I was a Democrat – I usually don’t like to give them advice, but this is too critical for the security of America – go back to Washington, fund DHS now,” he said.
McCarthy’s comments came Sunday, as American counterterrorism agencies quietly monitored suspected sleeper cells on U.S. soil in the wake of joint U.S.–Israel strikes on Iran.
The strikes resulted in the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and several senior Iranian officials.
The offensive measure also led to the U.S. adversary vowing retaliation and a myriad of warnings from security experts like former assistant FBI Director Chris Swecker, who told Fox News, “If ever there’s going to have a Hezbollah cell or a Hamas cell act in the United States in a violent way, it’s now.”
The FBI said a mass shooting in Austin, Texas, that left three people dead, including the shooter, and 14 others injured early Sunday is being investigated as a potential act of terrorism.
DHS FUNDING STALEMATE THAWS AS WHITE HOUSE SENDS DEMOCRATS ‘SERIOUS’ COUNTEROFFER
Federal law enforcement sources told Fox News the suspect, a 53-year-old naturalized U.S. citizen who was born in Senegal, was wearing clothing that said “Allah” on it and an undershirt featuring an Iranian flag.
McCarthy criticized Democrats’ push for a vote on War Powers resolutions as a “very stupid play” as DHS funding remains stalled.
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“Here’s the Democrats, who first voted to fund DHS and then voted against the exact same bill where it shut down. So the Coast Guard – it’s not being funded [neither are] the Secret Service [nor] the TSA…” he said.
McCarthy urged Democrats to “do your job” and “protect Americans in their homeland.”
Trump’s Iran strike rocks Texas Senate race as Dems demand ‘war powers,’ GOP applauds president
SAN ANTONIO, TX – With hours to go until primary day in Texas, the U.S. and Israeli attack on Iran is the latest flashpoint in Lone Star State’s high-stakes and combustible Senate showdown.
Republican Sen. John Cornyn and his two primary challengers are rallying around President Donald Trump‘s decision to launch the attacks, which are now in their second day and resulted in the killing of Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Three American military members were also killed in the fighting.
But the two Democrats vying for their party’s nomination in a bid to try and flip the long-held Republican seat in right-leaning Texas are condemning the airstrikes on Iran.
This year’s Senate showdown in Texas is one of a handful across the country that could determine if Republicans hold their majority in the chamber in the midterm elections. The GOP currently controls the chamber 53-47.
“I think the President did the right thing. It’s amazing to me that President Trump is the only president in my lifetime that is willing to take this kind of decisive action in order to stop the halt of terrorism and also radical Islam,” Cornyn said Sunday in a Fox News Digital interview.
Cornyn praised the operation, saying “this was well planned and was very decisive.” But he added, “There’s still a lot more to be done, and unfortunately, Iran still has a lot of ability to inflict casualties on people in the region.”
The senator’s top primary rival, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, thanked Trump for his “courageous leadership.”
Paxton, a MAGA firebrand and longtime Trump supporter who has survived a slew of scandals over the past decade, said in a social media post that “President Trump’s Operation Epic Fury is yet another overwhelming and historic military success. Khamenei’s been killed and the terroristic regime threatening our troops and nation has been decimated.”
IRAN’S NEAR HALF CENTURY WAR ON AMERICANS
Rep. Wesley Hunt, the Army veteran turned MAGA rising star, also praised the president, saying, “Trump did it again. PEACE THROUGH AMERICAN STRENGTH!”
“Iran’s Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is DEAD, and now the people of Iran have a chance to be free,” added Hunt, a West Point graduate who flew Apache helicopters during his Army service who is in his second term representing a safe Republican district in the Houston-area.
Trump, whose clout over the GOP remains immense, has stayed neutral to date in the Republican primary. All three candidates, who have sought the president’s endorsement, were in attendance Friday as Trump held an event in Corpus Christi, Texas.
“They’re in a little race together,” Trump said of Cornyn and Paxton. “You know that, right? A little bit of a race. It’s going to be an interesting one, right? They’re both great people, too.”
Trump also complimented Hunt, and said that all three contenders were engaged in an “interesting election.”
DEMS’ POTENTIAL 2028 HOPEFULS COME OUT AGAINST US STRIKES ON IRAN
The two major Democrats in the race, progressive firebrand Rep. Jasmine Crockett and rising Democratic Party star state Rep. James Talarico, are chastising Trump for not seeking congressional approval.
“CONGRESS, not the PRESIDENT, but CONGRESS has the EXCLUSIVE authority to declare war! Speaker Johnson needs to call us in IMMEDIATELY & it is time for the House & the Senate to pass a war powers resolution!” Crockett wrote on social media this weekend.
And Crockett, a vocal Trump critic and foil, asked, “Why is it that this President refuses to even pretend that he cares about following the law?! I’ve been stomping & telling people that this election is life or death!”
Talarico, taking to social media this weekend, emphasized, “No more forever wars.”
But he didn’t make specific comments about the military strikes during a campaign event Sunday in San Antonio, Texas.
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Cornyn criticized the Democratic candidates for not supporting the U.S. operation.
“When the President has, in an act of political courage, ordered the U.S. military, along with our ally Israel, to defeat the number one state sponsor of terrorism and to prevent them from acquiring a nuclear weapon. Whose side do they choose? They choose the Iranian side. It’s just mind-boggling to me,” he argued.
And the senator predicted, “this will continue to be an issue in the midterm elections, because I don’t think that’s what the American people want, to live in a new world where a nuclear-armed terrorist state can literally terrorize not just the region but the world.”
Hormuz erupts: Attacks, GPS jamming, Houthi threats rock Strait amid US-Israeli strikes
The Strait of Hormuz region became a flashpoint Sunday after U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran under Operation Epic Fury triggered electronic warfare activity and multiple “attacks” on vessels along one of the world’s most critical energy waterways, according to reports.
The sudden escalation followed a Feb. 28 warning from U.S. maritime authorities urging commercial vessels to avoid strategic waterways if possible, including the Persian Gulf, Gulf of Oman and Arabian Sea, citing heightened security risks.
“It is recommended that vessels keep clear of this area if possible,” the advisory warned.
“The Persian Gulf, Strait of Hormuz and adjacent waters are the most dangerous place right now for commercial shipping,” Jakob P. Larsen, head of maritime security at BIMCO, told Fox News Digital.
“Ships in the Persian Gulf are under threat from Iranian attacks,” Larsen said.
“To protect themselves, most ships stay as far away from Iran as they can,” he added before describing how ships are “trying to depart from the Persian Gulf to get away from the threat.”
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) and regional authorities reported multiple maritime incidents listed as “attacks” Sunday.
One vessel west of Sharjah, UAE, was rocked by an explosion from an unknown projectile that detonated close alongside, and another tanker north of Muscat, Oman, was struck above the waterline, sparking a fire that was later brought under control, according to data.
A third vessel northwest of Mina Saqr, UAE, was also hit by a projectile that ignited a blaze aboard, the organization reported.
Compounding the physical threats is a surge in electronic warfare with maritime intelligence firm Windward reporting widespread GPS and Automatic Identification System (AIS) interference, impacting 1,000-plus ships.
IRAN FIRES MISSILES AT US BASES ACROSS MIDDLE EAST AFTER AMERICAN STRIKES ON NUCLEAR, IRGC SITES
Windward cited widespread navigation disruption near Iran’s Bandar Abbas port, with ships falsely appearing at airports, a nuclear power plant and inland locations.
Several new AIS jamming clusters were also identified across Emirati, Qatari, Omani and Iranian waters, Windward said.
Major shipping company Maersk announced it would reroute some services away from the region, citing crew and cargo safety.
Roughly 20% of global oil and gas exports pass through the Strait, and traffic has already thinned, with some tankers reversing course or switching off AIS signals.
Industry groups also warned of Houthi retaliation in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, while analysts cautioned that Iran could seize vessels tied to U.S. or Israeli interests.
“The Houthis have threatened to resume attacks on ships in the Red Sea, Bab el-Mandeb Strait and Gulf of Aden,” Larsen explained.
KEANE WARNS IRAN STRIKE BECOMING ‘REGIONAL WAR,’ SAYS THREE GULF STATES PREPARING FOR COMBAT
Ships with business connections to U.S. or Israeli interests are considered more likely targets, though others could be struck deliberately or in error, he said.
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Tanker owners’ association Intertanko also warned members that “the expectation is that the Houthis may respond and recommence attacks on shipping,” although immediate intelligence remained unclear.
“There are no signs of Iranian attempts to close the Strait with sea mines or naval mines, although this can change at short notice,” Larsen added before confirming that GPS interference has “increased significantly following the initiation of hostilities.”
Iranian-American Democrat ‘incredibly disappointed’ with party’s response to US-Israel strikes
Iranian-American advocate Moj Mahdara called on Democrats to wake up on Sunday in response to many members of the party’s reaction to the U.S. and Israel’s actions against Iran, and said she was incredibly disappointed by the criticism.
“I think that it is imperative the Democratic Party wake up and get past their dislike of Donald Trump, President Trump, and their feelings of international conflicts going on. This is about national security. This is about what is possible in the Middle East. This is about being a good neighbor, good partner to the Gulf States and what their aspirations are,” Mahdara, who co-founded the Iranian Diaspora Collective, told CNN host Dana Bash during “State of the Union.”
The U.S. and Israel launched a massive joint military operation against Iran on Saturday, known as “Operation Epic Fury.” The attacks have already left major leaders dead, including Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
“When you dismember and decapitate this regime, you are going to see a change in the Middle East, in Venezuela, in China, in Ukraine. And I think, quite frankly, their ideology has really, it’s caused a lot of problems for us worldwide. We need to take it seriously. And I think at this point we have a tremendous opportunity. This will be like ending the Soviet Union, the Berlin Wall,” she continued.
However, Mahdara, a Democrat, said she didn’t see herself in the Democratic Party at the moment, due to the party’s response.
“This is a transformational moment for humankind, for security, and as an American, as an American, this is in our interest to complete it. So I am a Democrat, I have been a huge Democrat. I am incredibly disappointed with my party. I do not see myself in them in this moment,” she added.
Mahdara spoke to “Fox & Friends” on Saturday about the strikes.
“I think the majority of people in Iran wanted the regime to leave. I think the majority of people in Iran wanted this regime to never massacre 40, you know, 40,000 of their own, imprisoned their own. They were tired of the exploitation of their resources, of their name into these proxy words. They were mortified and sickened by what they saw in Gaza and Lebanon and what they’ve seen in Yemen. And I think this doesn’t represent the Iranian people,” she said.
She argued that this was the Iranian people’s only shot.
KEANE WARNS IRAN STRIKE BECOMING ‘REGIONAL WAR,’ SAYS THREE GULF STATES PREPARING FOR COMBAT
“Something had to happen. And this is unfortunately what it is. And from the speech that I heard last night from President Trump, frankly, if I’m being candid with you, I’m in my late 40s, I’ve been waiting my entire life to hear a sitting president speak that way about that country, because it doesn’t just pose a threat to America, it poses a threat to the entire region. And it’s disrupted the way of life for a lot of people across that region,” she said.
Bash also spoke to Masih Alinejad, an Iranian-American journalist and activist, who specifically called out New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani.
“In America, yesterday I took to the streets, my sisters. I hugged every single American because I was heartbroken when I saw Mamdani’s, Mayor Mamdani’s tweet sympathizing with the Islamic Republic. No single word condemning the massacre,” she said.
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“I took to the New York, I said, ‘This beautiful city, New York saved my life.’ New York is my city. I need to hug my people. I need to talk to them. Left people, right people, Trump supporters, Democrats, they all hugged me. When it comes to support the lives of innocent people, America is united. The time [has] come for politicians, Republicans, Democrats, to be united for human rights, for global security,” Alinejad continued.
She responded to Mamdani’s condemnation of the U.S.-Israel strikes against Iran directly on X.
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