The shooter who attacked the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Dallas was targeting ICE agents, federal officials said at a news conference Thursday.
Nancy Larson, the acting U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Texas, said a collection of notes found at Joshua Jahn’s residence showed an animus toward ICE agents and that he had been planning the attack for some time. Jahn legally purchased the 8mm bolt-action rifle used in the shooting last month, officials said.
Larson said that early Wednesday morning, Jahn was seen driving his car with a long ladder. Officials believe he used the ladder to access the roof of an office building near the Dallas ICE facility, from where he started firing at about 6:30 a.m.
Larson said he fired rounds the length of the building and intended to damage property, as well as hurt or kill ICE personnel.
The three victims were detainees inside one of the vans Jahn targeted, Larson said. One of them died and the others are in critical condition. Officials did not provide any more specifics about the victims’ identities.
Larson said law enforcement personnel from multiple federal agencies put themselves at risk to move other detainees who were in the vans to safety.
Dallas ICE shooting suspect worked alone, authorities say
Another note found at the suspect’s residence said, “Yes, it was just me,” Larson said.
She and Joseph Rothrock, the FBI special agent in charge of the Dallas field office, both said all of the evidence indicates that Jahn acted alone. Larson also said there was no indication that Jahn was a member of any group.
Rothrock said it was officers from the Dallas Police Department and Dallas County Sheriff’s Office who found Jahn on the rooftop. He was dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Gunman used apps that track ICE agents
Marcos Charles, the ICE executive associate director for enforcement and removal operations, blamed “wild rhetoric” for what he said was a 1,000% increase in assaults on ICE officers.
Charles also said that Jahn used apps that track ICE agents as part of his planning for the attack.
“Anyone who creates or distributes these apps that is designed to spot, track and locate ICE officers, are well aware of the dangers they are exposing to law enforcement,” Charles said.
Multiple apps have sprung up in recent months to warn migrants of potential ICE operations and help them avoid arrest as the Trump administration increased its crackdown on undocumented immigrants.
