On March 1, a gunman fired into the crowd at a bar in Austin, TX, killing three people. This was the 56th mass shooting recorded in the US in 2026.
The gunman was 53-year-old Ndiaga Diagne, a US citizen born in Senegal, who was fatally shot by police at the scene. He was wearing a shirt with an Iranian flag design and a sweatshirt that said “Property of Allah”. The FBI also found an Iranian flag and pictures of Iranian leaders at his home, as well as a Quran and other weapons in his vehicle.
Diagne legally purchased the firearms used in the shooting, leading Texas Democrats to call for stricter gun control laws. Investigators noted that he had prior mental health episodes in Austin, but the shooting was investigated as a potential act of terrorism.
On May 7, the FBI released an update on the investigation, stating that the gunman was a “lone actor” and that there is no evidence he was supported or radicalized by a foreign terrorist group. Although they have not yet identified a clear motive for the shooting, investigators believe that Diagne admired the deceased Iranian leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and was motivated by “personal grievances” related to US and Israeli military action in Iran. The investigation is still ongoing.
Islamophobia and anti-immigration narratives
Some Texas Republicans have called the shooting an act of terror motivated by radical Islam. They have demanded a ban on Muslim immigrants and an end to the “Islamification of Texas”, with some conservative groups warning of secret “Islamist actors” exerting foreign and ideological influence.
Governor Greg Abbott and other Texas Republicans have suggested that Diagne was not properly background-checked before being granted US citizenship, and that he became “radicalized”.
Last year, Gov. Abbott designated the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), a national civil rights and advocacy group, as a foreign terrorist organization. This prevents them from purchasing or acquiring land in Texas. The CAIR released a statement condemning the shooting and rejecting efforts to blame all Muslims for the actions of one individual. They also deny having any relations with the Muslim Brotherhood or Hamas.
Zohaib Qadri, Austin’s first Muslim city council member, said that some Muslim residents fear they might become victims of Islamophobic violence after the shooting.
Earlier this year, Texas Senator John Cornyn helped introduce the Defeat Sharia Law in America Act, which states that any establishment that provides goods or services based on Sharia Law would violate federal law. Sharia Law is a set of principles that Muslims follow to live morally and spiritually in various aspects of life. Many other Republicans have campaigned on anti-Sharia platforms, claiming it is “not compatible with the US Constitution”.
According to the CAIR, “Just as Jewish communities follow kosher dietary rules or use rabbinical courts in civil matters, and Catholics turn to canon law for guidance on marriage or church governance, Muslims may look to sharia for personal religious practice. None of these religious traditions override or replace US law.” The Intercultural Networks Group (ING) also states that Sharia law commands Muslims to obey the law of the land in which they reside. Therefore, following the US Constitution is part of Islamic law for Muslims in the US.
Immigration crackdowns and the ICE raids under the Trump administration have also continued to drive fear in Muslim immigrant communities across the US. This has made it difficult for Muslims to gather for Ramadan, a holy month observed by fasting, prayer, reflection, and community. Some Muslim groups have issued know-your-rights guides, including those for mosques.
Uneven media coverage and the US-Israeli war on Iran
Research has shown that attacks committed by Muslims receive significantly more media attention than those by non-Muslims. In the reporting of violent crime and mass shootings, US media often frames Islam as a violent religion, especially after 9/11 and the Gaza war. Muslim shooters are also more likely to be labeled as “terrorists” and “less mentally ill” compared to non-Muslims. However, the majority of mass shooters in the US are white males. By comparison, only about 4% are Middle Eastern.
The Austin bar shooting took place a day after the US and Israel launched massive airstrikes on Iran, killing Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, other top Iranian officials, and thousands of civilians. The Trump administration has framed the war using what some describe as Christian nationalist imagery.
The Military Religious Freedom Foundation (MRFF), a US watchdog group, received a complaint of a US military commander telling troops that the war on Iran is part of “God’s divine plan” and that President Trump was “anointed by Jesus” to initiate Armageddon, the final battle between the forces of good and evil. Over 200 similar complaints have been reported. The CAIR has condemned this “holy war” rhetoric.
According to the Center for the Study of Organized Hate (CSOH), the US-Israeli war on Iran has intensified the spread of harmful online content targeting Muslims, including direct calls for their extermination.