‘Suspect was a US citizen’: Hindu group slams Texas politicians for blaming H-1B visa program for Austin shooting

Politicians in Texas have faced criticism for linking the recent mass shooting in Austin to H-1B visa holders and immigrants, even though the suspect was a naturalised US citizen. The backlash has sparked debate about the politicisation of tragedies and the role of immigration in political discourse.

The shooting occurred on March 1 in downtown Austin, Texas, near a bar on West Sixth Street. Authorities said a gunman opened fire on people outside the venue, killing two people and injuring more than a dozen others before he was shot dead by police. The suspect was identified as Ndiaga Diagne, a 53-year-old resident of Texas who had originally immigrated from Senegal but later became a US citizen in 2013.