Austin Releases Chaotic Footage from Sixth Street Mass Shooting as Terrorism Probe Intensifies
Austin police on Thursday released a chilling array of evidence from last weekend's mass shooting in the city's famed Sixth Street entertainment district, providing a raw, unfiltered look at the chaos that unfolded in the early hours of Sunday morning. The materials—including surveillance video, police body camera footage, radio traffic, and recordings of desperate 911 calls—paint a picture of panic and violence as bars were letting out on the crowded strip.
"There's people shot. We need help right now," one caller is heard pleading in a recording officials described as "difficult to hear." The released video shows the suspect, identified as 53-year-old Ndiaga Diagne, walking with what Police Chief Lisa Davis characterized as an AR-15 rifle. Patrons are seen scattering in terror as shots ring out near a popular intersection. Subsequent bodycam footage shows officers rushing toward the gunfire, engaging Diagne, and ultimately fatally shooting him.
"As additional officers arrived, they were directed to the suspect's location by brave people that were caught in this nightmare," Chief Davis said during a Thursday news conference.
The evidence release coincides with an intensifying investigation into the motive behind Austin's deadliest mass shooting in recent years. Authorities are actively probing whether Diagne, a Senegalese immigrant who became a U.S. citizen, was inspired by recent U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran. Investigators are scrutinizing his clothing—a shirt with an Iranian flag design and a hoodie printed with "Property of Allah"—along with his digital footprint, mental health history, and any potential extremist influences. The FBI has been brought into the case, with officials executing search warrants at locations linked to Diagne in the Austin suburb of Pflugerville.
"From that early on … calling in the FBI was the right thing to do," Davis stated, acknowledging the potential terrorism angle while cautioning that a definitive nexus has not yet been established.
The attack claimed the lives of three victims: 19-year-old Ryder Harrington, 21-year-old Savitha Shan, and 30-year-old Jorge Pederson. The number of people struck by gunfire has been revised to 19, with two remaining hospitalized—one in critical condition.
Diagne had no significant criminal record and was not previously known to local or federal law enforcement, aside from a 2022 welfare check related to his mental health. "I don't think any of us can imagine what these families are going through right now," Chief Davis said. "Our hearts are with them."
Public Reaction:
Marcus Johnson, 42, Security Consultant: "The released footage is a necessary, if brutal, transparency. It shows both the sheer randomness of the violence and the swift response of officers and civilians who helped direct them. The terrorism probe is critical; the symbolism on his clothing can't be ignored."
Priya Mehta, 28, Bartender on Sixth Street: "It's a nightmare relived. We work and play here. Seeing it on video… it makes it too real. I'm glad they're looking at every angle, but my immediate thought is for the victims and their families, and for how we make these crowded spaces safer."
David Fletcher, 55, Political Commentator: "This is what failed immigration and mental health policies look like when they collide with extremist ideologies. Releasing the footage is just theater if it isn't followed by real action. Authorities 'not being ready' to talk about a terrorism link after days of investigation is either incompetence or a deliberate downplaying of a clear threat."
Anita Garcia, 37, Community Advocate: "The focus must remain on the lives lost and shattered. While the investigation is important, we risk dehumanizing this tragedy into a political or ideological debate. The core issues are gun violence and a system that failed to address a man in crisis long before he reached for a rifle."
This story has been updated with additional details from the investigation.