Austin bar shooting victims named as FBI investigates potential terrorism nexus

Authorities person revealed the identities of the 3 victims who were killed successful a suspected violent shooting astatine a Texas barroom implicit the weekend. 

Savitha Shan, 21, Jorge Pederson, 30, and Ryder Harrington, 19, were identified arsenic the 3 radical who were gunned down astatine Buford’s Backyard Beer Garden successful Austin connected Sunday morning, according to the Austin Police Department (APD).

Initial reports indicated that 2 civilians and the gunman were killed and 14 injured successful the overnight shooting astatine a fashionable nightlife venue adjacent the University of Texas successful Austin. 

However, Pederson was subsequently taken disconnected of beingness enactment connected Monday, APD said.

Jorge Pederson is being remembered arsenic "an inspiration successful mixed martial arts," an online fundraiser acceptable up to screen ceremonial costs said. (@trap_jorge/Instagram)

In the aftermath of the shooting, Pederson is being remembered arsenic "an inspiration successful mixed martial arts," an online fundraiser acceptable up to screen ceremonial costs said. 

"His interaction astatine the gym was that of a welcoming, lukewarm and pugnacious beingness that changed galore lives for the better," the tribute continued. "Jorge showed galore caller fighters that their dreams were attainable done hard enactment and dedication, nary substance who you are." 

Jorge Pederson was 1 of 3 radical gunned down successful a suspected violent shooting astatine Buford’s Backyard Beer Garden successful Austin, Texas connected Sunday, March 1, 2026. (@spence.larson/Instagram)

Shan was a dual-degree grant pupil astatine the University of Texas astatine Austin and was heavy engaged successful on-campus life, including serving arsenic a subordinate of the enforcement committee of the Indian Students Association. She was an lone child, according to her family. 

"Savitha was a bright, compassionate, and profoundly caring young pistillate whose beingness brought warmth, comfort, and joyousness to everyone who knew her," Shan's household wrote successful a statement.

"She believed successful moving hard, serving others, and surviving with integrity. Beyond her world achievements, she generously gave her clip done unpaid work and assemblage involvement, ever seeking to uplift those astir her."

In a connection connected X, UT Austin President Jim Davis described Shan arsenic "a kid of loving parents, a loyal person to galore and a Longhorn preparing to alteration the world."

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Savitha Shan, 21, was 1 of 3 radical gunned down successful a suspected violent shooting astatine Buford’s Backyard Beer Garden successful Austin, Texas connected Sunday, March 1, 2026. (Savitha Shan/Facebook)

Additionally, Longhorn adjunct prof Russ Finney wrote successful a societal media station that Shan was "one of our superstar students astatine UT Austin McCombs School of Business" and was acceptable to postgraduate successful May. 

Savitha Shan was a dual-degree grant pupil astatine the University of Texas astatine Austin and was heavy engaged successful on-campus life, including serving arsenic a subordinate of the enforcement committee of the Indian Students Association. (Savitha Shan/LinkedIn)

Harrington, a pupil astatine Texas Tech University who was past enrolled astatine the schoolhouse successful the autumn 2025 semester, is being remembered arsenic a "beloved son, member and friend" by his fraternity, Beta Theta Pi. 

"From the infinitesimal helium joined our brotherhood, helium brought a airy that was intolerable to ignore," the fraternity posted successful a tribute connected Instagram. 

In a station to societal media, Reed Harrington referred to his member arsenic "the champion mix" of their family.

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Ryder Harrington was mourned by loved ones aft being killed successful the early-morning wide shooting that near aggregate victims on Austin’s Sixth Street. (Instagram/@ttubeta)

"It is unfair, to accidental the least, that my small member was lone fixed 19 years connected this earth," Reed Harrington continued. "Watching the antheral helium had become, and seeing each the lives helium touched, leaves maine definite that this satellite was robbed of a large future."

Pederson, Shan and Harrington were changeable erstwhile Ndiaga Diagne, a 53-year-old naturalized U.S. national calved successful Senegal who lived successful Pflugerville, Texas, opened occurrence connected the fashionable nightlife hub adjacent the University of Texas astatine Austin conscionable aft 2 a.m. Sunday.

According to Police Chief Lisa Davis, the gunman "put his flashers on, rolled down his model and began utilizing a pistol shooting retired of his car windows, striking patrons of the barroom that were connected the patio and that were successful beforehand of the bar." 

Members of the FBI analyse extracurricular of Buford's barroom connected March 1, 2026, successful Austin, Texas. (Brandon Bell/Getty Images)

From there, the gunman drove westbound connected Sixth Street to Wood Street, parked his conveyance and exited holding a firearm portion continuing to sprout astatine pedestrians without ever entering the bar.

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The gunman was past changeable and killed by constabulary astatine the scene. 

The FBI has since revealed the shooting was a imaginable enactment of terrorism.

"Obviously, it's inactive mode excessively aboriginal successful the process to find an nonstop motivation, but determination were indicators connected the taxable and successful his conveyance that bespeak imaginable nexus to terrorism," Alex Doran, acting peculiar cause successful complaint of the FBI’s San Antonio Field Office, said astatine a property league Sunday.

"Again, it's inactive excessively aboriginal to marque a determination connected that. That's wherefore we are investigating it precise intimately with our partners with Austin constabulary department," Doran added.

The FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force has besides been deployed to assistance successful the ongoing investigation.

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"We're conscionable astatine this constituent prepared to accidental that it was perchance an enactment of terrorism," helium said.

At slightest 2 further victims stay successful captious condition, according to authorities. 

Fox News Digital's Landon Mion contributed to this report. 

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