University of Texas business student named as second victim in Iran-inspired attack at Austin bar
A young business student who wanted to see all seven wonders of the world was instead gunned down by a pro-Iran terrorist as she partied with friends.
Savitha Shan, 21, was the second victim of a shooting in Austin in the early hours of Sunday when the gunman opened fire on a packed bar.
Austin Police identified Shan along with Ryder Harrington, 19, and said a third victim would have their life support turned off on Monday and 13 were wounded.
Shan was a management information systems and economics student at the University of Texas, who was only a few months away from graduating.
She studied at the Liberal Arts and Science Academy in Austin before going to UT and interned at Staples in Framingham, Massachusetts, for 11 weeks in 2024 and three months at PriceWaterhouseCoopers last year.
‘With hands-on experience in technology strategy consulting, product management, and business analytics, I’ve had the opportunity to work with organizations ranging from global financial institutions to early-stage startups,’ her LinkedIn read.
Shan was also active in Raas Roedo, which runs traditional Gujarati folk dance events in Austin.
Introductions on the group’s social media revealed her ‘bucket list item’ was to visit all seven wonders of the world, and her dream car was a Range Rover.
Savitha Shan, 21, was the second victim of a shooting in Austin in the early hours of Sunday when the gunman opened fire on a packed bar
Her favorite food was the creamy jalapeno at local Mexican chain Chuy’s and Spiderman was her favorite superhero.
Raas Rodeo posted a statement online about the shooting about the time that police identified Shan, but didn’t mention her by name.
UT President Jim Davis announced Shan’s death to students and staff in an email on Monday, also confirming other UT students were among the wounded.
‘A child of loving parents. A loyal friend to many. A Longhorn preparing to change the world. It is devastating, and I know all of us are grieved by this horrible news and we will remember her,’ he said.
‘Some of [the injuries] are very serious and we are hoping for the best outcomes, while others are on the path to recovery.
‘I have met with many of these families and will continue to pray for them.’
Shah, who legal last name was Shanmugasundaram, was the daughter of Muthian Shanmugasundaram, a director at Stealth Mode Biotech in Boston.
He was previously a senior staff scientist at Thermo Fisher Scientific in Austin for 17 years where he made several discoveries until he went to Stealth in 2023.
Shan was a management information systems and economics student at the University of Texas , who was only a few months away from graduating
Ryder Harrington was identified by his fraternity brothers at Texas Tech University on Monday after he was shot the day before
Harrington was mourned as ‘a beloved son, brother, and friend’ by the Beta Theta Pi chapter at Texas Tech, where he was a member of the Fall 2024 pledge class.
‘Ryder had a rare ability to truly enjoy life to make people laugh, to make moments feel bigger, and to make ordinary days unforgettable,’ it said.
‘If anyone embodied what it meant to live fully and love deeply, it was Ryder.’
‘His character and genuine spirit made our chapter stronger and our friendships deeper. The energy he carried, the joy he spread, and the way he made everyone feel welcome are things we will never forget.
‘He made the world around him better simply by being in it.’
His older brother, Reed Harrington, mourned him online as the ‘best mix’ of his family – the wit of his father Ryan, the heart of his sister Reagan, and Reed’s stubbornness.
‘It is unfair, to say the least, that my little brother was only given 19 years on this earth,’ he wrote.
‘Watching the man he had become, and seeing all the lives he touched, leaves me certain that this world was robbed of a great future.’
Harrington (far right) with his father Ryan, sister Reagan, sister-in-law Alaine, and brother Reed
Harrington was one of two people shot dead in addition to 14 more wounded at a packed-out bar during the early hours of Sunday
Harrington was mourned as ‘a beloved son, brother, and friend’ by the Beta Theta Pi chapter at Texas Tech, where he was a member of the Fall 2024 pledge class
Reed wrote a heartbreaking final letter to his brother, admitting life would ‘never feel normal again’ without him.
‘I love you more than you will ever know. No matter how old you get, or how much taller than me you are, you will always be my little brother,’ he wrote.
‘I know I drove you crazy at times, but nothing will ever compare to getting to be your brother – getting to be your mentor (even when you didn’t want it), and getting to be there to pick you up when you were down (and humble you when you needed it).
‘I don’t think life will ever feel normal again. I have no idea what I’m supposed to do, but I know you will always be there to guide me and be my mentor.
‘Thank you for being the best brother I could ever ask for. I cannot wait to see you again.’
Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives Dustin Burrows said Harrington was the brother-in-law of one of his staffers.
‘Ryder was exactly the kind of young man who made a difference without even trying – full of life, loyal to his friends, proud to be a Red Raider and a Texan, and someone who showed up for the people around him,’ he said.
Harrington (left) with his brother Reed at a high school football game
Harrington with his brother Reed in a photo of them as children Reed posted as a tribute
Harrington with his family on his 17th birthday in August 2023
Harrington and a dozen other revelers were gunned down at Buford’s on West Sixth Street in Austin’s Market District just before 2am on Sunday.
Witnesses said the bar was ‘full of college students, probably mostly UT kids, shoulder to shoulder, hundreds just enjoying their nights.’
Three of the wounded are in critical condition as of the last update. One of them will be taken off life support later on Monday, police said.
Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis said the gunman never entered the bar, but fired at patrons from the street with a handgun and a rifle until cops shot him dead.
The gunman, Ndiaga Diagne, 53, is believed to have been hellbent on revenge for the US attacks on Iran that began early Saturday morning.
Diagne, a former New York City resident and US citizen who immigrated from Senegal, was wearing a wearing a shirt reading ‘Property of Allah’ and an undershirt or T-shirt emblazoned with the Iranian flag.
A Quran was later found in the his car.
Davis described the shooting as a ‘tragic, tragic incident’, and praised the bravery of responding officers who were ‘faced with an individual with a gun.’
After shooting at people on the bar’s patio and in front of the building, Diagne drove about two blocks away before he got out of the car and fired at pedestrians.
When officers responded to reports of a shooting, they saw him ‘coming toward them’ and opened fire, killing him.
Footage shared to social media showed the chaotic aftermath of the shooting with Diagne lying dead in the street.
The gunman, identified as Ndiaga Diagne, 53, wore a ‘Property of Allah’ hoodie as police searched his home and discovered photos of Iranian leaders and an Iranian flag
Patrons were seen in videos tending to the wounded with police officers, as victims screamed in pain
After shooting at people on the bar’s patio and in front of the building, Diagne drove about two blocks away before he got out of the car and fired at pedestrians, then he was shot by cops
Party-goers crouched in fear inside the bar as police arrived, before several more gunshots rang out as he opened fire again until officers shot him.
Patrons tended to the wounded along with police officers, as victims screamed in pain, in footage too graphic to publish in full.
Paramedics arrived on the scene just 57 seconds after the shooting began, officials said.
Diagne had a history of mental illness and several arrests in Texas since he arrived from NYC where he is believed to have lived from 2000 to 2008.
He was first arrested in NYC in 2001 for illegal vending. Despite his crowded rap sheet going back that far, he became a naturalized citizen in April 2013.
Officials, including the National Counterterrorism Center, are investigating if the shooting is tied to foreign terrorism.
