Notes written by the person who opened fire on an immigration facility in Texas indicate he was targeting ICE agents and did not intend to harm detainees, officials said.
One detainee was killed and two others critically injured after a suspected sniper opened fire at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) centre in Dallas. The suspected gunman, 29-year-old Joshua Jahn of Fairview, Texas, reportedly died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
At a news conference, acting US attorney for the Northern district of Texas, Nancy Larson, noted that Jahn planned to 'maximise lethality against ICE personnel' and aimed to minimise collateral damage to detainees. She emphasized, 'It seems that he did not intend to kill the detainees or harm them. It is clear from these notes that he was targeting ICE agents.'
The injured detainee included a Mexican national, and FBI director Kash Patel suggested a high level of pre-attack planning evident from Jahn's notes. One pointedly read: 'Hopefully this will give ICE agents real terror, to think, 'is there a sniper with AP rounds on that roof?'
The notes indicated a detailed, violent gameplan and expressed hatred towards federal agencies, underlining the motivation for this act as terrorism. He aimed at vehicles carrying ICE personnel, fully aware that detainees might also be present.
Marcos Charles, the ICE field office director, condemned the violent rhetoric directed at ICE agents, noting their bravery in responding and assisting detainees during ongoing gunfire.
Tensions at ICE facilities have escalated amid increased deportation efforts. This attack raises alarms around public safety and the growing threats facing law enforcement agencies engaged in immigration enforcement.
