Texas Tech Student Ryder Harrington First Victim ID’d In Austin Bar Mass Shooting

AUSTIN, TX. (THECOUNT) — Ryder Harrington, a Texas Tech University student from Austin, has been identified as one of two people fatally shot in a suspected terrorist attack outside a popular Austin bar in the early morning hours of Sunday, March 1, 2026. He was 19.

Harrington was killed when gunman Ndiaga Diagne, 53, opened fire on patrons gathered outside Buford’s Bar, located near the intersection of West Sixth Street and Rio Grande Street in Austin’s Market District, at approximately 2 a.m. A second victim was killed in the attack; authorities had not yet publicly identified that individual as of Monday. Fourteen others were transported to area hospitals, with three reported in critical condition, according to Robert Luckritz, chief of the county’s emergency medical services.

Diagne, a naturalized U.S. citizen originally from Senegal, was shot and killed by Austin Police officers shortly after the attack. At the time of the shooting, Diagne was wearing a sweatshirt bearing the phrase “Property of Allah” and an undershirt featuring an Iranian flag motif, according to law enforcement. A Quran was also recovered from his vehicle. Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis said Diagne drove around the area in an SUV several times before firing a handgun at patrons from the vehicle window. He then parked nearby and opened fire a second time with a rifle before officers intercepted him on East 6th Street and shot him dead. The ATF and FBI bomb squad also responded to the scene; no explosives were found in Diagne’s vehicle.

The FBI has taken the lead on the investigation. Alex Doran, acting special agent in charge of the FBI’s San Antonio field office, said the bureau’s Joint Terrorism Task Force is investigating alongside other specialty teams. “Obviously, it’s still way too early in the process to determine an exact motivation, but there were indicators on the subject and in his vehicle that indicate potential nexus to terrorism,” Doran said during a press conference Sunday. The Austin Police Department held an additional press conference Monday to provide further updates.

According to the Department of Homeland Security, Diagne entered the United States in March 2000 on a B-2 tourist visa. He became a lawful permanent resident in June 2006 through marriage to a U.S. citizen and was naturalized as a U.S. citizen in April 2013. He had a listed address in Pflugerville, Texas, a suburb located approximately 30 miles north of downtown Austin, according to law enforcement officials. Diagne was arrested in Texas in 2022 on a charge of collision with vehicle damage. Law enforcement sources told NBC News that Diagne had a history of mental illness. Federal and local authorities conducted a search of a residence in Pflugerville Sunday in connection with the investigation.

Harrington’s identity was confirmed by his father, Michael Harrington, on Monday. Originally from Austin, Harrington was enrolled at Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas — located approximately 340 miles northwest of Austin — and had joined the Beta Theta Pi fraternity chapter there in the fall of 2024. Austin is the capital of Texas and home to the University of Texas at Austin, whose president, Jim Davis, confirmed Sunday that members of the Longhorn community were among those impacted by the shooting.

Harrington’s older brother, Reed Harrington, confirmed the death on Facebook. “It is unfair, to say the least, that my little brother was only given 19 years on this earth,” Reed Harrington 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.”

The Beta Theta Pi chapter at Texas Tech announced a candlelight vigil in Harrington’s honor for Monday evening at 8 p.m. The chapter also launched a GoFundMe campaign in his memory, which had raised over $48,000 of its $50,000 goal as of Monday. “Ryder was a beloved son, brother, and friend whose kindness and presence touched countless lives,” the fraternity wrote in the fundraising post.

Via GoFundMe:

It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of our brother, Ryder Harrington, a member of the Fall 2024 Pledge Class.

Ryder was a beloved son, brother, and friend whose kindness and presence touched countless lives. From the moment he joined our brotherhood, he brought a light that was impossible to ignore. Ryder had a rare ability to truly enjoy life to make people laugh, to make moments feel bigger, and to make ordinary days unforgettable. If anyone embodied what it meant to live fully and love deeply, it was Ryder.
All donations will go directly to the Harrington family to help cover funeral and memorial costs.

Let us come together to support the Harrington Family.

Texas House Speaker Dustin Burrows mourned Harrington on X, noting his connection to a member of Burrows’ own staff. “Ryder was the brother-in-law of one of our own, and our hearts are aching alongside his loved ones,” Burrows wrote. He added that Harrington 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.”

Former Texas Tech University System Chancellor Kent Hance also addressed the loss on social media. “Ryder Harrington was murdered in Austin by a terrorist. Ryder was an outstanding young man,” Hance wrote. “I’ve talked to several people who knew him and everyone had nothing but praise for him and his character. May he rest in peace! Pray for his family.”

Among the 14 injured was Karan Bhakta, 21, a senior at the University of Texas at Austin, who told media that he had been with friends when a bullet grazed his scalp. He was treated for minor injuries at Ascension Seton Medical Center in Austin.

Austin Mayor Kirk Watson praised the response of first responders and law enforcement, stating that their swift action “saved countless lives.” Paramedics arrived on scene just 57 seconds after the shooting began, officials said.

The identity of the second victim has not yet been publicly released by authorities. The investigation remains ongoing.

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