Austin Gunman’s Troubling Past Revealed
The gunman who carried out the mass shooting last weekend in Austin, Texas, had a history of violent behavior, according to a lawsuit filed Thursday in Texas. Ndiaga Diagne, who shot and killed three people and wounded more than a dozen others, had assaulted a 65-year-old Tesla employee, Lilian Brady, three months earlier at a Tesla facility.
The lawsuit claims that Diagne, who was wearing a shirt with Iranian regime insignia during the shooting, “violently and without provocation” attacked Brady in December. Brady’s lawyer, Robert Hilliard, told CBS News that she never knew the identity of her attacker until she saw news of the shooting and recognized Diagne’s face. FBI investigators interviewed Brady this week, Hilliard said.
Investigation and Response
Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis stated that her department had never had any contact with Diagne before the shooting. However, Hilliard believes that local law enforcement may have known about Diagne and had screened video of him at Tesla prior to the attack. The Travis County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that it had investigated the assault but closed the case since the suspect is deceased.
The lawsuit alleges that Tesla was negligent in allowing an employee with “known aggressive tendencies” into a common area with other employees. The suit asks for damages of over $1 million. Tesla has not responded to requests for comment on the lawsuit and its allegations.
Questions and Concerns
The incident raises questions about whether Diagne’s behavior was a warning sign of a larger threat. Hilliard said, “It may have been an early warning sign of a far greater danger.” The attack has left many wondering how someone with a history of violence was able to carry out such a horrific act.
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