Online Presence of Austin Assailant Reveals Hate-filled Posts
Investigations into the recent tragic incident in Austin, Texas, where a gunman opened fire in a crowded bar, have revealed a disturbing online presence. It appears that the attacker had been making posts filled with hatred towards Jews, Christians, and women for more than a year before the horrific event.
The shooting resulted in three lives lost and injuries to over a dozen people. It happened just a day after a joint military action by the U.S. and Israel against Iran.
An Online Persona Filled with Prejudice
The suspected account linked to the attacker started in October two years ago, with the most recent post made in December. Investigation shows that the man behind the account had made posts supportive of Iran and Islam, while expressing strong animosity towards Christians. However, there were no posts revealing any intention or plan for a violent attack.
During a time of increased tension between Israel and Iran, a post from the account read, "THE ISLAMIC REVOLUTION IS ETERNAL … you Zionist and Islamophobes can be angry all you want but you can't do a damn thing about it no matter what."
This post was in response to a statement from the foreign minister of the Islamic Republic of Iran, in which he criticized President Trump and the Israeli Prime Minister.
The Attacker's Identity and Motivation
The 53-year-old shooter, named Ndiaga Diagne, was killed during a shootout with the police. Some believe that the war in Iran played a role in motivating his attack.
At the time of the attack, Diagne was wearing a T-shirt with a design similar to the Iranian flag and a hoodie that said "Property of Allah." Police found a Quran in the SUV he was driving during the attack.
Further investigation at his home in Austin revealed an Iranian flag and photographs of leaders of the Iranian regime. It's also reported that Diagne had a history of mental health problems, including an incident where the police were called because he was suicidal.
Background of the Attacker
Diagne was an immigrant from Senegal who moved to the U.S. in 2000 and became a U.S. citizen in 2013. He had previously lived in New York where he was sued for causing severe injury to a woman in a car accident. The outcome of this lawsuit is unclear. Records show that Diagne was arrested four times between 2001 and 2016. The 2001 arrest, the only one that is public, was for illegally selling sunglasses.
Contentious Social Media Activity
There are several social media accounts across various platforms using the same name as the shooter. One particular account, believed to be linked to Diagne, stands out due to the provocative posts.
Among the posts were insults aimed at President Trump, calling him "A shameless clown," and the Israeli Prime Minister, whom he described as "Evil." In another post, he responded to a meme about gender roles with: "SPERM and have built everything in this world."
Many of his posts showed a clear disdain for Christianity, calling it "fake" and using derogatory language to refer to significant figures in Christian mythology, including Mary, mother of Jesus.
In one post, he stated "Muslims worship THE ONE AND ONLY TRUE GOD," responding to a claim that Muslims and Christians don't worship the same God. Other posts were directed at a well-known right-wing influencer and self-proclaimed "proud Islamophobe." His message to her was filled with vile language and personal attacks.