Additional Coverage:
Dallas, TX – A sniper attack outside the Dallas Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) field office this past Wednesday resulted in the death of one detainee and critically injured two others. Exclusive surveillance video, obtained by ABC News, captured the chaotic moments as gunfire erupted.
Authorities reported that a sniper, later identified as 29-year-old Joshua Jahn, fired from a nearby rooftop towards the facility’s sallyport in the early morning. At the time of the shooting, ten detainees were being unloaded from a van, having arrived from a local jail, and were being restrained for transport as per standard procedure.
The footage shows officers and detainees scrambling for cover near two vans. Inside the building, detainees, still handcuffed and leg-shackled, were seen running and some falling to the ground in a desperate attempt to escape the barrage of bullets.
Acting U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas, Nancy Larson, praised the “heroic” efforts of officers who worked to move detainees to safety while under fire. The video also shows armed agents carrying victims away from the scene.
Investigators allege Jahn “fired indiscriminately” at the ICE building and van using a bolt-action rifle. Larson stated that Jahn’s goal was to “maximize lethality against ICE personnel and maximize property damage at the facility.” FBI Director Kash Patel revealed that Jahn left behind a note expressing a desire to inflict “real terror” on ICE agents, with a specific mention of armor-piercing rounds.
Jahn, who died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, “indicated he did not expect to survive the attack” in his handwritten notes, officials confirmed Thursday.
According to Larson, investigators believe Jahn acted alone and was not affiliated with any specific group. While no government agency other than ICE was mentioned in his notes, he did express a broader “hatred for the federal government.” Evidence suggests a “high degree of pre-attack planning,” including recent searches for apps tracking ICE agents and the download of a document listing Department of Homeland Security facilities.
In response to the attack, Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons announced that all ICE facilities nationwide would be placed on a higher alert.