A gunman fired upon a Dallas immigration field office from a nearby roof Wednesday morning, killing two detainees and critically wounding another, before killing himself in what authorities called an indiscriminate attack on U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
All three victims were inside a van outside the facility at the time the gunman opened fire, the Department of Homeland Security said in a statement. Authorities say they found ammunition with anti-ICE messaging at the scene.
The attack is the latest public, targeted killing in the U.S. and comes two weeks after conservative leader Charlie Kirk was slain by a rifle-wielding shooter on a roof.
2 detainees killed and another critically injured in Dallas ICE facility, Homeland Security says
Here are some of the things to know about the shooting at the ICE field office.
Who are the victims?
All three victims were detainees, the Department of Homeland Security said. Officials have not released any additional information about the identities of the victims.
No members of law enforcement were injured in the attack, authorities said.
Who was the shooter?
Authorities say the shooter died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, but they have not released additional details about the gunman.
A law enforcement official identified the suspect as 29-year-old Joshua Jahn. The official could not publicly disclose details of the investigation and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.
Hours after the shooting, authorities could be seen on top of a law office building near the ICE facility. A white van from the medical examiner’s office arrived. A crew could be seen loading in a body that was in a black bag before driving away.
What was the motive for the attack?
The FBI said at a morning news conference that ammunition found at the scene contained anti-ICE messaging, and the head of the agency, Kash Patel, released a photo on social media that shows a bullet containing the words “ANTI-ICE” written in what seems to be marker.
Department of Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin also posted photos showing bullet holes in a window and a glass case holding an American flag.
In a statement, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said, “This vile attack was motivated by hatred for ICE.”
At a news conference, Sen. Ted. Cruz said, “This is the third shooting in Texas directed at ICE or CBP. This must stop. To every politician who is using rhetoric demonizing ICE and demonizing CPB: stop. To every politician demanding that ICE agents be doxed and calling for people to go after their families: stop. This has very real consequences.”
But Democrats accused Cruz and others of selectively releasing information and trying to “control the narrative” to fit Republican arguments that ICE agents are under siege.
Immediately after an earlier news conference in which authorities refused to say whether detainees were among the victims, Democratic U.S. Rep. Marc Veasey called in to Dallas’ WFAA-TV newscast and told them he was “absolutely sickened” by officials’ comments.
“If they are trying to control this narrative and they don’t want migrants to be the victim in this story, then they may want to slow-walk giving us any information about this so they can still keep on talking about attacks on ICE,” Veasey said.
Where did the shooting occur?
The shooting occurred at the local field office in Dallas, where agents conduct short-term processing of those in custody. The victims may have been recently arrested by ICE.
The ICE facility is along Interstate 35 East, just southwest of Dallas Love Field, a large commercial airport serving the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area, and just blocks from hotels catering to airport travelers.
What other recent attacks have there been at ICE facilities?
A July 4 attack at a Texas immigration detention center injured a police officer, who was shot in the neck. Attackers dressed in black military-style clothing opened fire outside the Prairieland Detention Center in Alvarado, southwest of Dallas, federal prosecutors said. At least 11 people have been charged in connection with the attack.
A man with an assault rifle fired dozens of rounds at federal agents as they were leaving a U.S. Border Patrol facility in McAllen on July 7. The man, identified as Ryan Louis Mosqueda, injured a police officer who responded to the scene before authorities shot and killed him. Police later found other weaponry, ammunition and backpacks inside his car.