FBI: Anti-ICE gunman Joshua Jahn plotted Dallas shooting, sought to terrorize agents

The FBI said Joshua Jahn carefully planned his attack on immigration officers in Dallas, taking up a rooftop position on an immigration attorney’s office near an ICE field office and firing on agents in what investigators described as a deliberate effort to cause fear. The gunman killed one detainee and critically wounded two others before he took his own life.

Investigators recovered a handwritten note in which Jahn wrote, "Hopefully this will give ICE agents real terror, to think, 'is there a sniper with AP rounds on that roof?'" The shooting began Wednesday morning when he opened fire at a van near the entrance of the ICE field office, authorities said. The attack marks one of the most brazen assaults on federal immigration facilities in recent years and underscores concerns about safety around sensitive government operations.

FBI Director Kash Patel said in an X post Thursday that Jahn conducted multiple searches of the "Charlie Kirk Shot Video" between Sept. 23 and 24, just before the shooting. Patel framed the online activity as part of a broader pre-attack information-gathering pattern, noting that investigators recovered a trove of material suggesting deliberate planning ahead of the attack.

In addition to the video search, investigators found Jahn sought apps that track ICE agents and downloaded a document titled "Dallas County Office of Homeland Security & Emergency Management," which the FBI said contains a list of DHS facilities. Patel said the accumulated evidence indicates a high degree of pre-attack planning, highlighting what authorities describe as a methodical approach rather than a spur-of-the-moment assault.

The gunfire occurred at a Dallas-area site associated with an immigration attorney and near the ICE field office. Jahn fired from the rooftop of the attorney’s office, killing one detainee and wounding two others before dying by suicide. The victims’ identities have not been publicly released, and officials said the investigation remains active as they continue to review digital data and interview witnesses on the ground.

The case comes amid ongoing national attention to threats against federal agencies and to security at immigration facilities. While federal authorities have long warned of the risk of violence from anti-government or anti-immigration ideologies, this incident represents a rare, high-profile attack tied to a domestic extremist mindset directed at immigration enforcement. Law enforcement officials stressed that the motive remains under review, and investigators have not ruled out additional findings that could illuminate Jahn’s intentions or affiliations.

As investigators summarize the trove of material recovered to date, they emphasize that the incident was not a random act of violence but rather a premeditated operation with clear tactical aims. The FBI has pledged to continue following leads and releasing updates as more evidence becomes available, including guidance for federal facilities and law enforcement partners on prevention, response, and post-incident recovery.