- The investigation into the March 1 mass shooting in Austin has revealed a legal battle over corporate negligence involving the suspect's employer.
- Ndiaga Diagne, 53, has a history of violence, and a lawsuit alleges Tesla failed to report his past assault on an employee.
- The FBI is investigating whether Diagne's attack was linked to foreign-funded terrorism, focusing on extremist imagery found in his possession.
AUSTIN, Texas — The investigation into the March 1 mass shooting that left three victims dead and 14 others injured in Austin’s West Sixth Street entertainment district has expanded into a legal battle over corporate negligence. New details regarding the suspect, 53-year-old Ndiaga Diagne, suggest a pattern of escalating violence that went unchecked by both his employer and federal immigration authorities.
The death toll from the attack reached three this month following the passing of Jorge Pederson, 30, an aspiring MMA fighter. He is mourned alongside Ryan Harrington, 19, and Savitha Shan, 21.
The Tesla Lawsuit: A Missed Warning?
A newly filed lawsuit by Lillian Brady, a 65-year-old employee at Tesla’s Gigafactory, alleges that Diagne attacked her on the job site in December 2025. According to the filing, Brady encountered Diagne praying on the ground and attempted to walk around him when he suddenly jumped up and threw her to the ground, causing permanent injuries to her neck and back.
Brady’s attorney, Bob Hilliard, claims that Tesla refused to release Diagne’s name to the police following the assault, categorizing it as a non-work-related injury. "If Tesla had cooperated sooner, she could have helped make sure those kids were alive today," Hilliard stated, questioning why a man with a history of unprovoked workplace violence remained free and employed.
Immigration and Criminal History
Records show that Diagne first entered the U.S. from Senegal on a tourist visa in 2000. He obtained a green card through marriage in 2006 and was naturalized as a U.S. citizen on April 5, 2013.
However, his path to citizenship was marked by multiple legal issues. He was arrested in New York City in 2001 for illegal vending, followed by three additional arrests between 2008 and 2016. In 2016, the same year as his final NYC arrest, Diagne reportedly submitted an asylum application, though the specific grounds and resolution of that case remain unclear to federal investigators.
The Terrorism Investigation
The FBI’s San Antonio office is currently analyzing electronic devices recovered from Diagne’s SUV to determine if the attack was a directed act of foreign-funded terrorism. During the 57-second confrontation with Austin police, Diagne was found wearing a "Property of Allah" sweatshirt over a shirt featuring an Iranian flag.
While the suspect was of Senegalese origin, local residents like Mylad Mahdavi suggest the Iranian imagery points toward a specific extremist nexus. "He was a Muslim from Senegal, definitely funded by the IRGC terrorist regime, not by Iranians," Mahdavi said, reflecting a sentiment shared by some in the local community who fear the suspect’s actions will be wrongly attributed to the Iranian diaspora.
The FBI has confirmed that a Quran was recovered from the vehicle, and they are investigating whether the timing of the shooting was linked to ongoing U.S.-Israel actions against Iran.
This news article is updating as we receive more information about the ongoing investigation.
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