Savitha Shanmugasundaram, 21, was fatally shot on March 1, 2026, during a mass shooting in Austin’s West Sixth Street entertainment district. She was a University of Texas at Austin student, weeks away from completing dual degrees in management information systems and economics, and was active in campus life and the Indian-American community, including leadership in traditional Indian dance. Friends and professors described her as an outstanding student and committed community member.

The attack happened outside Buford’s Backyard Beer Garden and killed two other people, Ryder Harrington, 19, and Jorge Pederson, 30, and injured fourteen more. Authorities identified the suspected gunman as 53-year-old Ndiga Diagne, a naturalized U.S. citizen originally from Senegal; Diagne was shot and killed by police at the scene. The FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force has joined the probe and investigators are exploring a potential nexus to terrorism after reporting Diagne wore clothing bearing the words Property of Allah and an Iranian flag design. Very little about motive has been confirmed.

If anyone saw events on West Sixth Street that night or knew Savitha, please share information that could help fill gaps in the timeline or memorialize who she was.