A tragic attack in Austin claimed the lives of three people, including a second-year university student, at the hands of a pro-Iran terrorist. The incident occurred at a bustling bar over the weekend.
Ryder Harrington, a student at Texas Tech University, was identified as one of the victims by his fraternity brothers. The 20-year-old was shot on Sunday, and his identity was confirmed the following Monday.
The attack, which took place in the early hours of Sunday morning, left two dead and 14 others injured before police managed to neutralize the assailant in a firefight.
The Beta Theta Pi fraternity at Texas Tech, where Harrington was a member of the Fall 2024 pledge class, expressed their deep sorrow. They described him as “a beloved son, brother, and friend” who brought joy to those around him.
In a heartfelt tribute, the fraternity noted, “Ryder had a rare ability to truly enjoy life, make people laugh, and turn ordinary days into unforgettable memories.”
“If anyone embodied what it meant to live fully and love deeply, it was Ryder,” the statement concluded, capturing the essence of a life tragically cut short.
‘His character and genuine spirit made our chapter stronger and our friendships deeper. The energy he carried, the joy he spread, and the way he made everyone feel welcome are things we will never forget.
‘He made the world around him better simply by being in it.’
Ryder Harrington was identified by his fraternity brothers at Texas Tech University on Monday after he was shot the day before
His older brother, Reed Harrington, mourned him online as the ‘best mix’ of his family – the wit of his father Ryan, the heart of his sister Reagan, and Reed’s stubbornness.
‘It is unfair, to say the least, that my little brother was only given 19 years on this earth,’ he wrote.
‘Watching the man he had become, and seeing all the lives he touched, leaves me certain that this world was robbed of a great future.’
Reed wrote a heartbreaking final letter to his brother, admitting life would ‘never feel normal again’ without him.
‘I love you more than you will ever know. No matter how old you get, or how much taller than me you are, you will always be my little brother,’ he wrote.
‘I know I drove you crazy at times, but nothing will ever compare to getting to be your brother – getting to be your mentor (even when you didn’t want it), and getting to be there to pick you up when you were down (and humble you when you needed it).
‘I don’t think life will ever feel normal again. I have no idea what I’m supposed to do, but I know you will always be there to guide me and be my mentor.
‘Thank you for being the best brother I could ever ask for. I cannot wait to see you again.’
Harrington was mourned as ‘a beloved son, brother, and friend’ by the Beta Theta Pi chapter at Texas Tech, where he was a member of the Fall 2024 pledge class
His friends said Ryder had a rare ability to truly enjoy life to make people laugh, to make moments feel bigger, and to make ordinary days unforgettable
Harrington and a dozen other revelers were gunned down at Buford’s on West Sixth Street in Austin’s Market District just before 2am on Sunday
Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives Dustin Burrows said Harrington was the brother-in-law of one of his staffers.
‘Ryder was exactly the kind of young man who made a difference without even trying – full of life, loyal to his friends, proud to be a Red Raider and a Texan, and someone who showed up for the people around him,’ he said.
Harrington and a dozen other revelers were gunned down at Buford’s on West Sixth Street in Austin’s Market District just before 2am on Sunday.
Witnesses said the bar was ‘full of college students, probably mostly UT kids, shoulder to shoulder, hundreds just enjoying their nights.’
Three of the wounded are in critical condition as of the last update.
Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis said the gunman never entered the bar, but fired at patrons from the street with a handgun and a rifle until cops shot him dead.
The gunman, Ndiaga Diagne, 53, is believed to have been hellbent on revenge for the US attacks on Iran that began early Saturday morning.
Diagne, a former New York City resident and US citizen who immigrated from Senegal, was wearing a wearing a shirt reading ‘Property of Allah’ and an undershirt or T-shirt emblazoned with the Iranian flag.
A Quran was later found in the his car.
Davis described the shooting as a ‘tragic, tragic incident’, and praised the bravery of responding officers who were ‘faced with an individual with a gun.’
After shooting at people on the bar’s patio and in front of the building, Diagne drove about two blocks away before he got out of the car and fired at pedestrians.
When officers responded to reports of a shooting, they saw him ‘coming toward them’ and opened fire, killing him.
Footage shared to social media showed the chaotic aftermath of the shooting with Diagne lying dead in the street.
The gunman, identified as Ndiaga Diagne, 53, wore a ‘Property of Allah’ hoodie as police searched his home and discovered photos of Iranian leaders and an Iranian flag
Patrons were seen in videos tending to the wounded with police officers, as victims screamed in pain
Party-goers crouched in fear inside the bar as police arrived, before several more gunshots rang out as he opened fire again until officers shot him.
Patrons tended to the wounded along with police officers, as victims screamed in pain, in footage too graphic to publish in full.
Paramedics arrived on the scene just 57 seconds after the shooting began, officials said.
Diagne had a history of mental illness and several arrests in Texas since he arrived from NYC where he is believed to have lived from 2000 to 2008.
He was first arrested in NYC in 2001 for illegal vending. Despite his crowded rap sheet going back that far, he became a naturalized citizen in April 2013.
Officials, including the National Counterterrorism Center, are investigating if the shooting is tied to foreign terrorism.
