A mass shooting at Buford’s bar in Austin’s vibrant Sixth Street entertainment district resulted in three fatalities, including the shooter, and left 14 others injured during the early hours of Sunday morning. The assailant, identified as 53-year-old Ndiaga Diagne, has raised concerns among authorities, who are investigating possible links to terrorism. The identities of the victims have not yet been disclosed as police continue their inquiries and work to notify the families affected by this tragic event.
Witnesses who were present on West Sixth Street during the shooting shared their harrowing experiences as chaos erupted in one of the city’s busiest nightlife locales. Kelson Li, who arrived at Buford’s around midnight to meet a colleague, described the scene as overwhelmingly crowded, with patrons packed shoulder to shoulder.
After briefly losing track of his friend, Li moved to another bar but returned to Buford’s around closing time, just as gunfire erupted. “I don’t know why I was compelled to walk into Buford’s toward the gunshots,” Li admitted. “I guess I really was thinking about my co-worker, my friend. I wanted to make sure he was good.”
Inside the bar, panic reigned. “It was pandemonium and a lot of hysteria,” Li recounted. “No one knew what to do. People were just trying to be safe, trying to get to safety.” He described a scene where some individuals had been grazed by bullets, while others lay unresponsive on the floor, with “maybe seven to eight bodies just kind of laying on the floor.” The horror of the situation was etched on the faces of those present, a memory that will linger in his mind.
Li expressed deep concern for his friend, who recently relocated to Austin from Minnesota. “He literally moved here two weeks ago … just trying to go out and experience Austin and meet people,” Li said, noting his desperate attempts to contact him. “I’ve called him probably like a million times, and it’s just gone dead. I’m trying to think best-case scenario right now. I hope he’s OK.”
The traumatic experience has profoundly affected Li’s perspective on life. “I think last night made me realize how precious the people that we are close with are, and we just need to live life fully,” he reflected.
The gunman, Ndiaga Diagne, was reportedly wearing a sweatshirt emblazoned with the phrase “Property of Allah” and had an Iranian flag on a T-shirt beneath it. In response to the attack, Texas Governor Greg Abbott has ordered increased patrols and surveillance throughout the state, particularly in the Sixth Street district, as part of Operation Fury Shield.
Authorities and community leaders are grappling with the implications of this tragic event, as the FBI investigates potential ties to terrorism. The situation remains under close scrutiny as updates continue to unfold in the wake of this devastating incident.
