University of Texas Student of Indian Descent Killed in Austin Shooting
NEW YORK — A University of Texas student of Indian descent was among two people killed in a mass shooting in Austin early Sunday morning, an attack federal authorities say may have a potential link to terrorism amid heightened tensions following U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran.
Officials on Monday identified Savitha Shan as one of the victims in the shooting, which also left 14 others injured outside a popular nightlife venue in Austin.
Authorities said the suspected gunman, 53-year-old Ndiaga Diagne, an immigrant from Senegal, opened fire while wearing clothing bearing symbols associated with Iran. According to officials, he wore a T-shirt displaying the Iranian flag and another shirt with the words “Property of Allah.”
Alex Doran, acting special agent in charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s local office, said investigators had found signs the shooter may have had a “nexus to terrorism,” and that the matter remains under investigation.
Law enforcement agencies across the United States have been placed on heightened alert amid concerns about possible retaliatory or ideologically motivated attacks after U.S. and Israeli forces began bombing Iran over the weekend.
FBI Director Kash Patel said on X that he had “instructed our Counterterrorism and intelligence teams to be on high alert.”
University of Texas President Jim Davis confirmed Shan’s death in an email to the campus community, describing her as a student “preparing to change the world.”
He called her “a child of loving parents” and “a loyal friend to many,” adding, “All of us are grieved by this horrible news, and we will remember her.”
The university’s public radio station, KUT, reported that Shan was 21 years old and had grown up in Austin, according to a friend.
On her LinkedIn profile, Shan wrote that she was pursuing a dual bachelor’s degree in economics and management information systems at the University of Texas at Austin and was expected to graduate this year. She also said she volunteered with the Austin Tamil Sangam.
Shan had launched an e-commerce venture called Sunflakestickers, selling custom stickers online. She previously interned with PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) and Staples.
Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis said the shooting began when Diagne parked outside a beer garden and fired a pistol at people seated on the patio. He then exited his vehicle and began shooting with a rifle at pedestrians nearby before officers fatally shot him.
Investigators continue to examine the motive behind the attack as the community mourns the victims. (Source: IANS)
