Additional Coverage:
- Dallas ICE attack timeline shows shooter sought to inflict ‘real terror,’ leaving 1 dead, 2 hurt: Officials (foxnews.com)
One Detainee Killed, Two Injured in Targeted Attack on Dallas ICE Facility; Suspect Identified in Apparent Suicide
Dallas, TX – A targeted shooting at a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility in Dallas on Wednesday resulted in the death of one detainee and injuries to two others. Federal officials identified the suspect as Joshua Jahn, 29, who reportedly died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound following the attack.
The FBI is investigating the incident as a deliberate assault against the federal agency. Authorities revealed that anti-ICE messaging was found on ammunition rounds near the suspect’s body, and further evidence points to extensive pre-attack planning.
Details Emerge on Suspect’s Planning
FBI Director Kash Patel disclosed that Jahn had engaged in considerable preparations leading up to the shooting. Prior to the attack, Jahn downloaded a document titled “Dallas County Office of Homeland Security & Emergency Management,” which contained a list of Department of Homeland Security (DHS) facilities. He also conducted searches related to ballistics and tracked the presence of ICE agents using various applications between August 19 and 24.
Handwritten notes recovered from Jahn’s person and residence outlined a “game plan” for the attack, detailing target areas within the facility. One chilling note read, “Hopefully this will give ICE agents real terror, to think, ‘is there a sniper with AP [armor-piercing] rounds on that roof?'” Officials stated that the evidence indicates a “high degree of pre-attack planning.”
Timeline of the Attack
The tragic events unfolded early Wednesday morning:
- Around 3 a.m.: Surveillance video captured Jahn driving with a large ladder, which investigators believe he used to access the building’s rooftop.
- Around 6:30 a.m.: The shooting commenced as ICE officers were transferring detainees into the facility’s sally port.
Jahn allegedly opened fire indiscriminately at the ICE facility and a law enforcement van, resulting in the death of one detainee and injuries to two others. No law enforcement officers were physically harmed.
- Around 7 a.m.: Jahn was found dead on a nearby rooftop with a rifle, having died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Motive and Aftermath
After the shooting, the FBI released an image showing a magazine of rounds inscribed with anti-ICE messages. Investigators also found additional notes at Jahn’s residence.
According to Acting U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Nancy Larson, Jahn’s notes referred to ICE employees as individuals collecting a “dirty paycheck” and expressed an intent to “minimize” collateral damage or injury to detainees, an aim tragically contradicted by the outcome.
Jahn’s writings further indicated his desire to induce “real terror” in ICE agents, to cause “constant stress in their lives,” and to interfere with their work, which he termed “human trafficking.”
FBI Director Patel, who visited the incident command center in Dallas, condemned the attack. He emphasized that these “despicable, politically motivated attacks against law enforcement are not a one-off,” citing a similar ambush at an ICE facility in Prairieland, Texas, just two months prior. Patel affirmed that the FBI and its partners are committed to pursuing and bringing to justice those who target law enforcement.