Austin: A shooting at a bar in Austin, Texas, has left three people dead and 14 injured. Authorities are investigating whether it may be a domestic terrorist attack related to tensions in the Middle East.
According to Thai News Agency, the incident occurred at a bar in Austin's popular entertainment district late Saturday night local time. At least three people were killed and 14 others were injured, many critically. The gunman died in a shootout with police at another location in downtown Austin. The suspect's identity and motive have not yet been released.
FBI investigators, in cooperation with local police, have taken over the investigation, classifying the incident as a possible act of domestic terrorism due to initial evidence linking it to ideological motives. Authorities are also investigating whether the incident is related to heightened tensions in the Middle East between the U.S. and Iran, following threats of retaliation from Iranian supporters abroad. As a result, law enforcement across the U.S. is on high alert, concerned that this incident may be retaliatory or a terrorist attack linked to the airstrike in Iran that killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Increased patrols have been deployed in public areas, government buildings, and densely populated neighborhoods in major cities nationwide to prevent copycat attacks.