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Two Texas college students and an MMA fighter from Minnesota have been ID’d as the fatal victims of Sunday’s mass shooting in Austin — with one a dual-degree standout and the other a teen who was heartbreakingly mourned as “the best brother.

“I love you more than you will ever know,’’ Ryder Harrington’s older brother Reed wrote of the tragic Texas Tech University 19-year-old on Facebook — above touching childhood photos of the pair.


  Ryder Harrington is the first victim identified in the mass shooting at a bar in Austin, Texas. Instagram / @ttubeta Ryder Harrington is the first victim identified in the mass shooting at a bar in Austin, Texas. Instagram / @ttubeta

“No matter how old you get, or how much taller than me you are, you will always be my little brother,” the stricken sibling said.

“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.”

The slain young man’s sister Reagan called her dead brother her “best friend” on Instagram.

“I will never be the same and no relationship will ever compare to ours,’’ she wrote.

“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.


  Ryder (right) was one of two students killed over the weekend. Instagram / @ttubeta Ryder (right) was one of two students killed over the weekend. Instagram / @ttubeta

  Savitha Shan was identified as the second victim in the Austin attack. Linkedin Savitha Shan was identified as the second victim in the Austin attack. Linkedin

“I’m not sure how we’re meant to work through this — all I can think about is seeing you again.”

Savitha Shan, a 21-year-old University of Texas student working toward a dual degree in management information systems and economics, was later identified as the second dead victim.

“Today, it was confirmed that among those who lost their lives is one UT student,’’ university President Jim Savis wrote in a message to the school community.

“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.”


  Ryder was a student at Texas Tech University. Instagram / @ttubeta Ryder was a student at Texas Tech University. Instagram / @ttubeta

Here’s the latest on the mass shooting in Austin, Texas

Jorge Pederson, 30, was identified as the third victim in the shooting and died of his injuries on Sunday morning, the Austin Police Department announced late Monday. 

Pederson, known as “Trap Jorge,” was an MMA fighter hailing from Minnesota and the second-ranked men’s amateur light heavyweight in the state, according to his Tapology biography.


  Jorge Pederson was an MMA fighter from Minnesota. Instagram/trap_jorge Jorge Pederson was an MMA fighter from Minnesota. Instagram/trap_jorge

“Jorge had a bright future that was cut short in the March 1st Austin, Texas shooting at Buford’s Bar,” read a statement on a fundraising page for his family and funeral expenses. 

Pederson was “an inspiration in mixed martial arts to many,” and reached a “large audience” during his MMA career in a “short time,” according to the fundraiser.

“His impact at the gym was that of a welcoming, warm, and tough presence that changed many lives for the better,” the statement continued. “Jorge showed many new fighters that their dreams were attainable through hard work and dedication, no matter who you are.”

Pederson frequently posted videos to Instagram of himself sparring with friends as well as motivational MMA content. 


  The former New York City resident was wearing possibly pro-Iran clothing. X/@WalkerATX The former New York City resident was wearing possibly pro-Iran clothing. X/@WalkerATX

Senegalese immigrant-turned-US citizen Ndiaga Diagne, 53, opened fire outside Buford’s Backyard Beer Garden around 2 a.m., just as the bar was getting ready to close.

The former New York City resident was wearing a “Property of Allah” sweatshirt and possibly pro-Iran clothing, and cops said they found a Quran in his SUV — evidence that they say helps support their belief that he launched his carnage to avenge the US attack on Iran.

In addition to his two innocent dead victims, Diagne wounded 14 other people before police killed him during a gun battle.

Ryder, one of four siblings, was described as a “beloved son, brother, and friend” on a GoFundMe page set up in his memory by his fraternity, which he joined in the fall.


  Shooter Ndiaga Diagne was seen wearing a “Property of Allah” sweatshirt. X/@BillMelugin_ Shooter Ndiaga Diagne was seen wearing a “Property of Allah” sweatshirt. X/@BillMelugin_

Harrington’s “kindness and presence touched countless lives,’’ the emotional tribute reads.

“From the moment he joined our brotherhood, he brought a light that was impossible to ignore.

“Ryder had a rare ability to truly enjoy life to make people laugh, to make moments feel bigger, and to make ordinary days unforgettable,’’ his fraternity brothers wrote for the fund-raiser, which had secured more than $90,000 by late Monday afternoon.

“If anyone embodied what it meant to live fully and love deeply, it was Ryder.’’

The teen also was mourned by Speaker of the Texas House Dustin Burrows, who said his death “hit especially close to home for our Team Burrows family,’’ without elaborating.

“Ryder was the brother-in-law of one of our own, and our hearts are aching alongside his loved ones,” Burrows wrote on X.

“Elisabeth and I are praying for Avery and Ryan, the entire Harrington family, and everyone who loved Ryder — the number appears to be countless. We ask that you lift them up as well.”


  Ryder, one of four siblings, was described as a “beloved son, brother, and friend” on a GoFundMe page. Facebook/Reed Harrington Ryder, one of four siblings, was described as a “beloved son, brother, and friend” on a GoFundMe page. Facebook/Reed Harrington

The former chancellor of the Texas Tech University System, Kent Hance, lauded the well-liked student on social media, too, and condemned his murderer.

“Ryder Harrington was murdered in Austin by a terrorist. Ryder was an outstanding young man,’’ Hance wrote on the platform. “I’ve talked to several people who knew him and everyone had nothing but praise for him and his character.

“May he rest in peace! Pray for his family.”

Reed Harrington wrote that his tragic brother “was the best mix of all the Harrington crew.


  The slain young man’s sister Reagan called her dead brother her “best friend” on Instagram. Instagram/Reagan Harrington The slain young man’s sister Reagan called her dead brother her “best friend” on Instagram. Instagram/Reagan Harrington

“He had the wit of Ryan, the heart of Reagan, and the stubbornness of myself,” he wrote in reference to the family’s four siblings.

“It’s unfair, to say the least, that my little brother was only given 19 years on this earth,” he wrote, adding the man he had become and the lives he touched left him “certain that this world was robbed of a great future.”

The second half of his post was a letter he wrote to Ryder.

“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),” he said.

The post was accompanied by a series of family photos throughout the years, including group shots of the four siblings smiling broadly, a photo of a very young Reed and Ryder in a swimming pool and a photo with the brothers decked out in tuxedos.

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