A beloved brother, a ‘superstar student’ and a ‘fantastic fighter’: What we know about the Austin mass shooting victims
A beloved brother, a ‘superstar student’ and a ‘fantastic fighter’: What we know about the Austin mass shooting victims
Hanna Park, Holly Yan, CNNTue, March 3, 2026 at 2:39 PM UTC
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Mourners grieve the deaths of three mass shooting victims at a makeshift memorial outside a bar Monday in Austin, Texas. - Brandon Bell/Getty Images
One was on the brink of earning dual degrees and starting a prestigious job. Another was a mixed martial arts fighter whose grit was matched by his humor and charm. Another was a teenager with a bright future ahead.
Their lives intersected at the end when they were killed in a mass shooting in Austin’s bustling Sixth Street entertainment district.
“These were young people with their whole lives ahead of them,” said Buford’s Backyard Beer Garden, near the site of the shootings.
Another 13 people were injured in the attack early Sunday morning, including several University of Texas at Austin students, the school’s president said.
While the motive remains uncertain, investigators are digging into whether the suspect, 53-year-old Ndiaga Diagne, was spurred by recent US and Israeli strikes on Iran.
The anguish quickly spread across the country, as loved ones from Texas to Minnesota grieve the loss of three promising young lives. Here’s what we know about the victims:
A little brother ‘robbed of a great future’
Ryder Harrington "made the world around him better simply by being in it," Texas Tech's Beta Theta Pi chapter said. - Reed Harrington/Instagram
Ryder Harrington was a vivacious 19-year-old who made every day brighter for those around him, family and friends said.
His sister, Reagan Harrington, paid tribute to her “best friend” on Instagram.
“We understood each other in a way that no one else quite could, and everyone who knew us knew that we were partners in crime in everything,” she wrote. “I’m not sure how we’re meant to work through this — all I can think about is seeing you again.”
Ryder’s brother Reed Harrington said, it was unfair “that my little brother was only given 19 years on this earth.”
“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,” Reed posted on Facebook.
In an open letter to his slain brother, Reed thanked Ryder for “being the best brother I could ever ask for.”
“I love you more than you will ever know,” he wrote. “No matter how old you get, or how much taller than me you are, you will always be my little brother.”
Ryder Harrington was a student at Texas Tech University last fall, the school said, in a statement shared with CNN affiliate KCBD. He was a member of the Beta Theta Pi at Texas Tech, the chapter said.
Harrington “had a rare ability to truly enjoy life to make people laugh, to make moments feel bigger, and to make ordinary days unforgettable,” the fraternity posted on Instagram.
“He made the world around him better simply by being in it.”
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A ‘superstar student’ with exciting plans ahead
Savitha Shan was about to earn dual degrees and start a career at a major firm. - Instagram
Savitha Shan was just two months away from graduating from UT Austin and already had a distinguished job lined up, according to her LinkedIn profile and a professor.
Shan, 21, was “one of our superstar students at the UT Austin McCombs school of business,” professor Russ Finney wrote on X.
She “was set to graduate this May, and then she was on to start her career at a big professional services firm,” Finney wrote.
“She was a double major with honors. Involved in student organizations - a light in the classroom. Absolutely crushing to lose her.”
UT Austin President Jim Davis said Shan was “a loyal friend to many.”
“It is devastating, and I know all of us are grieved by this horrible news and we will remember her,” Davis wrote in a statement.
He said several other UT Austin students were injured in the shooting, some with “very serious” injuries.
A community vigil is scheduled for Tuesday evening, the university’s Students Demand Action chapter said.
A ‘fantastic fighter’ who ‘made us laugh constantly’
Those who met Jorge Pederson in his MMA circuit "all immediately loved him," the group said. (Med City Fighting Championships)
Jorge Pederson was a respected fighter and fought until the end.
The 30-year-old was mortally wounded Sunday and died Monday after he was taken off life support, CNN affiliate KVUE reported.
The MMA fighter from Minnesota was “very funny and a genuinely nice guy,” said Matthew Vogt, co-owner of Med City Fighting Championships.
Pederson wasn’t just “on point in regard to fighting,” Vogt told CNN. He also brought humor and personality to the sport.
“We adored him. He made us laugh constantly,” Vogt said.
Pederson’s personality was so infectious that “Immediately after meeting him, both owners and people that work our events all immediately loved him,” Med City Fighting Championships wrote on Facebook.
“He was a fantastic fighter. One of our favorite people to interact with, throughout the years of our existence,” the organization said. “Our condolences to all of his friends and family. It was an honor to have known him.”
CNN’s Amanda Musa, Ed Lavandera, Elise Hammond and Karina Tsui contributed to this report.
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Source: “AOL Breaking”
