A gunman opened fire Wednesday morning on a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement field office in Dallas, killing one detainee and critically wounding two others before taking his own life, officials confirmed.
The Department of Homeland Security called the incident an “indiscriminate” and “targeted attack” and said Secretary Kristi Noem has ordered increased security at ICE facilities nationwide.
The victims
According to DHS, the detainees were shot while inside a transport van parked in the facility’s sallyport. One was killed and two others were hospitalized in critical condition. Their names have not been released pending next-of-kin notification.
Mexico’s Foreign Affairs Ministry told the Associated Press that one of the injured was a Mexican national and said the consulate has contacted the family to offer support.
KTLA has reached out to ICE and the Mexican Consulate in Dallas for more information on the victims’ identities and conditions.
The gunman
Law enforcement officials identified the shooter as 29-year-old Joshua Jahn, who died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound after firing from a rooftop across from the ICE field office.
FBI agents searched a home in Fairview, Texas, tied to Jahn and collected electronic devices and handwritten notes, according to AP.
The New York Times reported that Jahn had an extensive online footprint but showed little interest in politics. Posts under at least two Reddit accounts featured discussions about video games, cars, “South Park” and marijuana.
Records reviewed by the Times show Jahn voted in a Democratic primary in Texas in 2020 and later registered as an independent in Oklahoma, where his parents own property. He also voted once in the 2024 general election there.
More public records indicate Jahn lived with his parents in northern Texas as recently as this year. His father retired in 2020 after 36 years in engineering roles at an elevator and escalator company, according to LinkedIn, the Times reported.
Court documents reviewed by AP show Jahn pleaded guilty in 2016 to felony marijuana delivery in Collin County and served five years’ probation.
Evidence and possible motive
In a statement, DHS said shell casings recovered at the scene carried anti-ICE messages.
FBI Director Kash Patel posted on X that agents seized electronic devices and handwritten notes from Jahn’s home, describing the case as showing “a high degree of pre-attack planning.” Patel said investigators believe Jahn downloaded documents on Dallas County homeland security facilities, searched for videos of the recent killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk and used apps that tracked ICE agents.
“One of the handwritten notes recovered read, ‘Hopefully this will give ICE agents real terror, to think, is there a sniper with AP rounds on that roof?’” Patel wrote. He also shared a photo of a bullet casing engraved with the words “ANTI-ICE.”
Security concerns
The Dallas field office is located along Interstate 35 East, just southwest of Dallas Love Field Airport. Former acting ICE Director John Torres told AP that facilities with exposed outdoor transport areas are particularly vulnerable.
DHS noted in its statement that the Dallas office has faced threats before. In August, a 36-year-old man was arrested after allegedly claiming to have a bomb in a backpack at the facility and was charged with making terroristic threats.
KTLA has also contacted the Dallas County Medical Examiner’s Office for information on when the deceased detainee’s identity may be released.
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