Police chief says Austin bar shooting appears to be retaliation for US Iranian strikes

Chief Lisa Davis of the Austin Police Department said in a press briefing Monday that the deadly mass at a bar in the city the previous day appeared to be retaliation for U.S. strikes on Iran.

Davis appeared in a joint briefing with local and federal law enforcement officials concerning the Sunday Austin bar shooting that left two people dead and 14 others injured. The suspect, who was identified as Ndiaga Diagne, wore a hooded sweatshirt that read “Property of Allah” and a shirt depicting the colors of the Iranian flag underneath it, according to photos posted to social media by The New York Post.

Photo reveals Austin mass shooter Ndiaga Diagne wore shirt with Iranian flag colors under his hoodie https://t.co/ySYeF3dDYl pic.twitter.com/Wl7cAg0vU4

— New York Post (@nypost) March 2, 2026

“I think for our purposes as we’re looking at the totality of this and certainly as a police chief, we are coming in, and we are getting this information,” said Davis in a response to a reporter’s question concerning whether Diagne was motivated by the Saturday U.S. Iran strikes. “We see those indicators, the second shirt with Iran, a picture of the Shah on that T-shirt as well. We are thinking about events and what’s occurring in the country as well.”

It is unknown whether Davis meant to say Ayatollah of Iran rather than Shah of Iran.

The Austin Police Department (APD) did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for clarification on Davis’ statement.

Davis said the current investigation, partnered with federal agencies, is focused on discovering the suspect’s motives. San Antonio FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge Alex Doran told reporters in the press briefing that it was too early in the investigation to declare a motive with certainty.

“This is an around-the-clock, 24-hour investigation at this point,” Doran stated. “Any declarations on what led to that motive would be premature. We want to make sure we have our facts 100% correct or at least we’ve tracked down every possible lead we can because after all, that’s what we owe to the victims.”

Doran said Sunday the suspect and his car carried indicators that imply a “potential nexus to terrorism.”

Doran told reporters in the Monday press briefing that this is another possible “investigative line” law enforcement will pursue, but at the current moment, investigators cannot yet point to a clear motivation.

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