Russ Finney, an assistant professor at the McCombs School of Business, expressed deep sorrow after 21-year-old Savitha Shan was identified as one of the victims in a mass shooting outside a bar in Austin, Texas. Shan, an Indian-American student at the University of Texas at Austin, was among two people killed when a gunman opened fire and 14 others were wounded. The other fatality was 19-year-old Ryder Harrington, a student at Texas Tech University in Lubbock. Responding officers later fatally shot the suspect.
In a post on X, Finney remembered Shan as an outstanding student who was due to graduate in May and had accepted a position at a major professional services firm. He noted she was a double major who graduated with honors, was active in student organizations and was “a light in the classroom,” calling her loss devastating.
Police initially said they were unsure whether the victims were college students; subsequent reporting confirmed Shan’s and Harrington’s university ties. Authorities identified the shooting site as Buford’s, a beer garden in Austin’s busy entertainment district. Investigators say the gunman drove an SUV around the block, fired from an open vehicle window at patrons seated outside, then exited the vehicle and continued shooting on foot. Officers recovered a handgun and a rifle at the scene, and additional weapons were found inside the SUV.
Multiple U.S. officials named the suspect as Ndiaga Diagne, a naturalised U.S. citizen born in Senegal. Sources said he was 53, arrived in the United States in 2006, became a citizen in 2013, and had lived in New York before moving to Texas. Investigators believe he acted alone.
The FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force has joined the probe. Officials said some indicators related to the suspect and his vehicle raised questions about a possible nexus to terrorism, but they cautioned it is too early to determine motive. FBI Acting Special Agent Alex Doran said authorities are examining all avenues, including whether the suspect may have self-radicalised. Investigators are also looking into the suspect’s prior mental-health episodes reported in Austin.
The Office of the Director of National Intelligence said its National Counterterrorism Center is coordinating with the FBI and local authorities to assess any potential foreign ties. Law enforcement emphasized that the investigation remains active and that officials are working to establish a clear motive and sequence of events.
Family, classmates and faculty continue to mourn Shan as the university community grapples with the loss, while officials urge anyone with information to come forward as investigators pursue leads.
