Get ready for the Protection Racket Media to treat a mass shooting this weekend in Austin, Texas as a “local news story.”
Normally, stories like this attract national attention as gun-control groups latch onto them to argue for stricter firearm restrictions. Others might point to mental-health red flags, and the now-deceased perp did have a history that suggests a connection. The local CBS News affiliate offered this report yesterday that also mentions another important element of the story, which is what the gunman wore to his planned attack on Austin’s nightlife district:
As it turns out, this looks a lot more like a planned terror attack than a firearms issue. CBS News followed up with the FBI, which has already developed evidence showing a “nexus” to terrorism … and to Iran:
The gunman, who was shot and killed by police, was wearing a sweatshirt that said “Property of Allah” during the attack, according to two sources familiar with the investigation. The description matches a photo obtained by Fox News that appears to show the gunman carrying a long gun.
There were indicators on the suspect and in his vehicle that suggest a “potential nexus to terrorism,” FBI Acting Special Agent Alex Doran said during a briefing Sunday, though he cautioned that it was too early to determine the motive.
Officials executed a search warrant at the gunman’s home on Sunday and found an Iranian flag and pictures of Iranian leaders, according to an official with direct knowledge of the investigation. Sources told CBS News that the Quran was found in the gunman’s vehicle.
We’ll get back to that angle in a moment. In the hours after the shooting, the usual suspects attempted to make this into a national gun-control story, as Tom Knighton notes at Bearing Arms this morning. Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-TX), Gabrielle Giffords, and US Senate hopeful James Talarico all issued statements yesterday morning that decried “gun violence,” with Talarico demanding that “we must act” rather than just pray for the victims. Knighton comments in disgust:
Never let an anti-gunner try to tell you they don’t get a little bit of a tingle in their no-no places when they see a shooting like this take place. They do, because they see it as an opportunity, even if they hate everything else about what happened.
We’ve got a terrorist attack carried out by an immigrant who appears to have overstayed a tourist visa, but got a green card during the Obama administration–not unlike the Boston Marathon bombers, to be clear–who carried out an attack on a gun-free zone in the midst of ongoing airstrikes against a country he fanboyed over, but the answer is for us to give up our rights.
Sure.
Just as soon as my pet unicorn gets here from Amazon.
As Tom also writes, it’s very possible that Ndiaga Diagne had mental-health issues. That, however, does not preclude a terrorist motivation. In fact, it may even strengthen that nexus. And as the New York Times reports this morning, the FBI has more information than just a sweatshirt and Quran that points in the direction of a terror operation:
Around midday Sunday, authorities descended on a suburban Travis County neighborhood outside of Pflugerville, about 30 miles north of the shooting, where the shooter had a known address.
A neighbor described a swarm of vehicles, including some from the Austin Police Department and the F.B.I., and said a SWAT team had breached Mr. Diagne’s home to execute a search warrant.
Neighbors said Mr. Diagne had kept a low profile. “They kept very much to themselves,” said Chris Finch, who resides next door to the home that was searched. “They didn’t really say hi or anything.”
Eddie Garcia, a board member of the area’s homeowners association, said he had never interacted with the person in that home, but that he had always seen multiple cars in the driveway. Mr. Finch said that he had noticed the same thing.
Apparently, Diagne wasn’t a loner, even if this was a “lone wolf” attack. Was he radicalized and recruited as a terror agent, or did he just flip out when Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu killed his Iranian heroes? The latter seems less likely, but still possible, if he had constant visitors at his residence. We will likely hear more about this soon, but if it does turn out to be terrorism, don’t expect to hear much more from the national media or the gun-control activists.
Editor’s Note: The mainstream media continues to deflect, gaslight, spin, and lie about President Trump, his administration, and conservatives.
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