On Wednesday morning, a gunman opened fire on a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) field office in Dallas from a nearby rooftop. One detainee was reportedly killed, and two others were critically injured.
Who were the victims?
All three victims were detainees held by ICE. One of the injured detainees is a Mexican national, according to Mexico’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Officials have not released their names.
Who was the shooter?
The shooter was identified as 29-year-old Joshua Jahn. He died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Jahn had a history that included working in the solar and marijuana industries and had pleaded guilty to felony marijuana delivery in 2016, as per AP. A law enforcement official, speaking anonymously because they were not authorized to share details publicly, confirmed that the shooter in the Dallas incident used a bolt-action rifle.
DHS Secretary Kristi Noem ordered increased security at ICE facilities nationwide. President Donald Trump blamed “radical left Democrats” for the violence, claiming their rhetoric encouraged attacks. Vice President J.D. Vance agreed with this view. More so, Texas Governor Greg Abbott called the shooting “an attack against our country itself” and vowed continued immigration enforcement.
Investigations Underway
Aerial footage from CNN’s affiliate KTVT shows officers conducting a search of a building believed to be the gunman’s firing location. Additional video captures authorities inspecting a Toyota at a nearby office building close to the ICE facility. The Department of Homeland Security reported that bullet casings bearing “anti-ICE messages” were discovered at the scene.
What other recent attacks have occurred at ICE facilities?
On July 4, a police officer was shot in the neck at a Texas immigration detention center. According to federal prosecutors, attackers wearing black, military-style clothing opened fire outside the Prairieland Detention Center in Alvarado, southwest of Dallas. At least 11 individuals have been charged in connection with this incident.
Then, on July 7, a man armed with an assault rifle fired multiple rounds at federal agents as they were leaving a U.S. Border Patrol facility in McAllen, near the Mexico border. The attacker, identified as Ryan Louis Mosqueda, wounded a responding police officer before being fatally shot by authorities. Police later discovered additional weapons, ammunition, and backpacks in his vehicle.
