A 21-year-old Tamil American student was among three people killed in a mass shooting on West Sixth Street in Austin, Texas, early Sunday morning.
Savitha Shanmugasundaram, a senior at the University of Texas at Austin, was fatally shot when a gunman opened fire in a crowded entertainment district, targeting Buford's Backyard Beer Garden. Fourteen others were injured in the attack.
The shooter, identified as Ndiaga Diagne, 53, was shot dead by Austin police officers at the scene.
Authorities confirmed the victims as Savitha Shan, 21, Ryder Harrington, 19, and Jorge Pederson, 30.
Members of the university community have expressed profound grief at the loss of Shanmugasundaram, who was due to graduate in May with dual degrees in Management Information Systems and Economics.
Shanmugasundaram was actively involved in campus life and participated in extracurricular activities including dance competitions. According to faculty members, she was preparing to begin her career at a major professional services firm after graduation.
Russ Finney, an assistant professor at the McCombs School of Business, wrote on X that Shanmugasundaram was “one of our superstar students” and that it is “absolutely crushing to lose her.”
Savitha was one of our superstar students at the UT Austin McCombs school of business - she was set to graduate this May, and then she was on to start her career at a big professional services firm. She was a double major with honors. Involved in student organizations - a light… pic.twitter.com/rSPGLTLQaG
— Russ Finney (@rfinney) March 3, 2026
University President Jim Davis paid tribute in a letter to the campus community. “[Shanmugasundaram was] a child of loving parents. A loyal friend to many. A Longhorn preparing to change the world,” Davis said. “It is devastating, and I know all of us are grieved by this horrible news and we will remember her.”
The university’s student government has announced a candlelight vigil to be held on Wednesday from 7 to 8 p.m. at the Main Mall on campus.
On Sunday, Alex Doran, acting special agent in charge of the FBI’s San Antonio division, described the shooting as “potentially an act of terrorism.” On Monday, however, he stated that the suspect was “not previously on our radar” and said that assigning a motive would be premature.
Tamil organisations across North America have also expressed condolences. The Federation of Tamil Sangams of North America noted that Shanmugasundaram and her family were deeply engaged in community service.
“Ms. Savitha and her family are passionate about community service. In particular, they continue to volunteer at the Austin Tamil Sangam, a member organization of Federation of Tamil Sangams of North America (FeTNA). A young leader and achiever, Ms. Savitha excelled in her academics, pursuing dual bachelor’s degrees at The University of Texas at Austin, one of the best higher education institutions in the United States.”