Dallas ICE shooting: Notes indicate suspect targeted ICE, officials say
Notes found at the suspect's home show intent to maximize harm to ICE personnel while limiting detainee casualties, as authorities describe a lone-actor attack.
An overnight shooting at a Dallas Immigration and Customs Enforcement processing center left one detainee dead and two others in critical condition, authorities said Thursday. The gunman was identified as 29-year-old Joshua Jahn, and officials said he acted alone. Acting U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Nancy Larson said investigators found handwritten notes at Jahn's home that showed he planned to target ICE personnel and maximize lethality against them while seeking to maximize property damage at the facility; she said he intended to minimize harm to detainees.
Larson said the notes reflect a specific intent to terrorize ICE workers and disrupt the agency's operations. She described Jahn's view of ICE employees as people collecting a dirty pay check, and said the attacker expected to harm ICE vehicles and personnel on transport. FBI Director Kash Patel said the investigation so far indicates a high degree of pre-attack planning, and that the attacker apparently understood that detainees would be transported at the time of the attack. A handwritten game plan was found at Jahn's residence. Authorities said there is no evidence that the shooter belonged to any particular group, though he expressed hatred of the federal government. The FBI and other agencies fought to evacuate detainees from vans and secure them from the shooter's vantage point on a nearby rooftop.
Law enforcement officials said Jahn very likely acted alone and that the morning gunfire covered the length of the building, including windows and the sallyport area where transport vehicles and law enforcement were stationed. The shooter reportedly acknowledged the potential for additional casualties and was aware that ICE detainees would be transported that morning, increasing the risk to bystanders. The victims have not yet been identified by authorities.
Officials praised ICE and other federal agents who moved quickly to remove detainees from vans and get them to safety under fire. Larson said the investigation remains ongoing, with prosecutors and federal investigators reviewing the full set of notes and other material found at Jahn's home. No charges have been announced, and authorities declined to discuss a possible motive beyond the stated hatred of the federal government. The case has highlighted safety concerns at immigration facilities and the potential for violence targeting federal personnel.
Investigators will continue to examine Jahn's background for possible ties to extremist networks, but officials stressed that the evidence to date points to a lone actor. For now, authorities emphasize that the shooter appeared to act alone and that the attack was a targeted, ambush-style assault on law enforcement. The identities of the victims have not been released.