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Dallas ICE Facility Shooting: 1 Killed, 2 Critical After Gunman Opens Fire
A shooting at a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) field office in Dallas on Wednesday morning has left one person dead and two others in critical condition, according to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. The gunman, identified as 29-year-old Joshua Jahn, died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. The incident has sparked a national debate on the rhetoric surrounding ICE and the safety of its facilities.
The shooting occurred at approximately 6:40 a.m. at the ICE field office located along I-35E, just southwest of Dallas Love Field Airport. According to Dallas police, officers responded to an assist officer call at the facility, where they found the gunman positioned at an elevated location, opening fire from the rooftop of an attorney’s office across the street from the ICE Detention facility. The gunman fired “indiscriminately at the building and those in the sallyport,” according to ICE. All three victims shot were detainees of the facility, federal authorities said.
Incident Details
The FBI is currently investigating the incident, and early evidence suggests that the shooter’s actions were motivated by anti-ICE sentiment. “Early evidence that we’ve seen from rounds that were found near the suspected shooter contain messages that are anti-ICE in nature,” said Joe Rothrock, the special agent in charge of the FBI’s Dallas field office. Additionally, FBI Director Kash Patel posted a photo of an unspent shell casing recovered from the scene, which was engraved with the phrase “ANTI ICE.”
Security Concerns
The incident has raised concerns about the security of ICE facilities across the country. The Dallas Field Office serves as a temporary holding facility for some detainees, with an average of 47 people held there each day, spending roughly seven hours in detention, according to a CBS News analysis of ICE data. The Mexican Consulate in Dallas has confirmed that one of the victims who was shot is a Mexican national.
Previous Security Threats
Wednesday’s shooting was not the first security threat at the Dallas ICE facility. Approximately one month earlier, a man approached the field office’s reporting entrance and claimed to have a bomb in his backpack, prompting a shelter-in-place order at the facility. The man, identified as 36-year-old Bratton Dean Wilkinson, was taken into custody and later charged with making terroristic threats.
Reaction from Officials
Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem condemned the violence and called for a national reckoning on the rhetoric surrounding ICE. “Our prayers are with the families of those killed and our ICE law enforcement. This vile attack was motivated by hatred for ICE. For months, we’ve been warning politicians and the media to tone down their rhetoric about ICE law enforcement before someone was killed,” Noem said in a statement. Noem also ordered DHS to immediately begin increasing security at ICE facilities across the country.
Lawmaker Reactions
Local, state, and federal lawmakers have reacted to the shooting, calling on violence against ICE agents to stop. “My hearts and prayers go out to my officers and agents, [that’s] my biggest concern as well as everyone in that area, but this just shows the violence has been increased against ICE officers and agents,” acting ICE Director Todd Lyons said in an interview with CNN. Sen. Ted Cruz and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott have also expressed their support for ICE and condemned the violence.
Other Recent Attacks on ICE Facilities
The shooting in Dallas is not an isolated incident. There have been other recent attacks on ICE facilities in Texas. On the Fourth of July, a attack at a Texas immigration detention center injured a police officer, who was shot in the neck. Additionally, a man with an assault rifle fired dozens of rounds at federal agents as they were leaving a U.S. Border Patrol facility in McAllen, Texas, on July 7.
Call for Action
Vice President JD Vance has called for an end to the “obsessive attack on law enforcement, particularly ICE.” “I’m praying for everyone hurt in this attack and for their families,” Vance said on X. The incident has sparked a national debate on the safety of ICE facilities and the need for increased security measures to protect agents and detainees.
In conclusion, the shooting at the Dallas ICE facility is a tragic reminder of the risks faced by law enforcement agents and the need for increased security measures to protect them. The incident has sparked a national debate on the rhetoric surrounding ICE and the need for a national reckoning on the issue.
Keywords: ICE facility shooting, Dallas, Texas, Joshua Jahn, anti-ICE sentiment, security concerns, DHS, Kristi Noem, Todd Lyons, Ted Cruz, Greg Abbott, JD Vance
Hashtags: #ICEFacilityShooting #Dallas #Texas #AntiICESentiment #SecurityConcerns #DHS #KristiNoem #ToddLyons #TedCruz #GregAbbott #JDVance #LawEnforcement #Immigration #BorderSecurity
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