Dallas ICE Shooting: Gunman Identified as Joshua Jahn, Two Migrants Killed
Gunman opened fire on migrants inside an ICE transport van in Dallas, then killed himself as authorities closed in; investigators seek motive while leaders react.
Dallas authorities identified the gunman in a Wednesday morning shooting at the Dallas Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility as Joshua Jahn, 29, according to multiple law enforcement sources cited by the Daily Mail. The attack killed at least two migrants and wounded several others before the shooter took his own life, authorities said. The victims were ICE detainees, and no law enforcement officers were injured in the incident. The shooting unfolded shortly after 7 a.m. local time as migrants were aboard an unmarked transport van, according to the report cited by the publication.
Authorities described the gunman as firing from an elevated position, targeting migrants inside the van. The gunman was later found on the roof of a nearby immigration attorney's office, WFAA reported. Investigators recovered bullets from the shooter’s body that were engraved with anti-ICE messages, according to the accounts cited by law enforcement sources. The identities of the shooter and the victims have not been publicly released.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said investigators were still probing a possible motive. Noem said on X that while motive remains unclear, ICE personnel face unprecedented violence against them and urged prayers for the victims and their families. The investigation is ongoing as federal authorities review security and threat data related to the incident.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton wrote on X that the shooting represented an attack on ICE and law enforcement and pledged that Texas would continue to combat violence against federal agents. Paxton’s post echoed a broader political debate over immigration enforcement and federal support for officers on the ground. Vice President JD Vance also weighed in, saying the obsessive attack on law enforcement, particularly ICE, must stop and offering prayers for those hurt and their families.
ICE Director Todd Lyons said the agency would place ICE facilities on a higher alert status in response to the shooting, and Texas Governor Greg Abbott said Texas fully supports ICE and would step up deportations as a result of the attack. Abbott stated that the assassination would not slow the state’s arrests, detention, and deportation efforts, and affirmed collaboration with ICE and the Dallas Police Department to determine the shooter’s motive.
The incident comes amid a broader period of tensions around immigration enforcement sites. In recent months, the Dallas ICE facility has faced protests from pro-immigration demonstrators and a related security episode last month in which a man identified as Bratton Dean Wilkinson, 36, was arrested after making a bomb threat against the center. In nearby Alvarado, Texas, on July 4, authorities said 10 people were arrested for shooting at law enforcement officers in an incident tied to opposition to ICE operations. Officials characterized the two events as threats to disrupt ICE facilities and operations.
This is a developing story, and authorities have not released full details about the shooter, the victims, or the motive. Further updates will be provided as information is confirmed.