FBI agents executed a search warrant at a Del Valle apartment linked to the gunman responsible for the mass shooting in downtown Austin. The operation took place following a tragic incident that occurred early on Sunday morning.
Residents of the Eastridge Apartments reported that federal agents surrounded a unit in the complex around 11:30 a.m. on March 1. Using a loudspeaker, agents instructed anyone inside unit 813 to distance themselves from the windows. Eyewitness accounts indicated that gunfire was heard during the operation.
One resident, who wished to remain anonymous, described the chaotic scene: “Then we heard like gunshots, and then we heard a grenade, like a grenade bomb go off in the apartment. It was just a lot of cars and the FBI with their guns drawn.” Another resident, Alex Sky, recounted his experience of encountering armed agents upon returning home, observing them with rifles and canines positioned outside.
Federal agents remained on the scene for several hours after entering the apartment. The status of anyone being inside the unit at the time remains unclear. This search marks the second location connected to Ndiaga Diagne, the 53-year-old gunman who was shot dead by Austin police after opening fire on West 6th Street.
Earlier on the same day, law enforcement officials conducted a search at a residence on Kickapoo Cavern Drive in Pflugerville, also tied to Diagne. Agents from the ATF were seen removing boxes believed to contain evidence.
During a press conference on Monday, Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis explained that the search warrants were obtained based on information regarding the suspect’s residences and locations where he frequented. While the FBI was present, they did not disclose details regarding any items recovered during the searches in Pflugerville and Del Valle.
The shooting, which took place outside Buford’s bar, resulted in the deaths of three people, including the shooter, with 14 others sustaining injuries. On Monday, authorities confirmed that a third victim had succumbed to their injuries.
All victims have been identified: 21-year-old Savitha Shan, 19-year-old Ryder Harrington, and 30-year-old Jorge Pederson. The incident is being investigated for potential ties to terrorism.
The shooting began around 1:40 a.m. when police received reports of a man firing shots at Buford’s. Responding officers confronted Diagne, who was subsequently killed in the exchange of gunfire. The gunman, a naturalized U.S. citizen originally from Senegal, was observed wearing a sweatshirt emblazoned with the phrase “Property of Allah” and an Iranian flag on a T-shirt underneath.
Chief Davis noted that Diagne possessed two firearms during the shooting; however, he never entered the bar. Instead, he opened fire from his vehicle before exiting with a rifle. An explosives team was summoned to inspect the shooter’s vehicle after investigators discovered suspicious items inside, but no explosives were found.
