Dallas ICE facility shooting leaves 1 detainee dead, 2 injured; FBI calls it a targeted attack
Authorities say the gunman, Joshua Jahn, carried out a premeditated attack as detainees were being transferred into the facility; he died by a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
An armed gunman opened fire at a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Dallas on Wednesday, killing one detainee and injuring two others before dying by a self-inflicted gunshot wound, officials said. The attack unfolded as detainees were being transferred from a law-enforcement van into the ICE building, according to federal authorities. No ICE officers were killed in the incident.
The FBI said the shooting is being investigated as a targeted attack against ICE. Officials identified the suspect as Joshua Jahn, 29, who died at the scene after the exchange of gunfire. Investigators said Jahn possessed anti-ICE messaging on rounds recovered near his body and had a handwritten note threatening ICE agents. The assault occurred while detainees were inside the sally port, the controlled entry point at the facility, and officials indicated Jahn fired indiscriminately at the building and at the transfer van.
Timeline and details released by federal authorities show a deliberate, premeditated pattern. Before the shooting, FBI Director Kash Patel said Jahn downloaded a document titled "Dallas County Office of Homeland Security & Emergency Management" that contained a list of DHS facilities. He also conducted searches related to ballistics and a video described as the "Charlie Kirk Shot Video" between August 19 and August 24, and he looked up apps that tracked ICE agents. Investigators said Jahn left a handwritten note reading, "Hopefully this will give ICE agents real terror, to think, is there a sniper with AP rounds on that roof?" and that evidence points to a high degree of pre-attack planning.
Around 3 a.m. on the day of the shooting, Jahn was seen on surveillance video driving with a large ladder strapped to his car, which authorities believe he used to reach the building’s rooftop where the gunfire began, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Nancy Larson said. About 6:30 a.m., the incident began as detainees were being transferred through the sally port; three people were shot, including one detainee who died at the scene and two others who were wounded. No law enforcement officers were killed. Authorities said Jahn fired at the facility and into the transfer van before taking his own life around 7 a.m. on a nearby rooftop.
Following the attack, the FBI released an image of a magazine bearing anti-ICE messaging recovered from the scene. Patel stressed that the violence against law enforcement is not isolated and noted a separate ICE facility attack in Prairieville, Texas, two months earlier. He said the FBI and partners would pursue those who target law enforcement to the fullest extent of the law. Larson said investigators also searched Jahn’s residence, where notes described a broader plan and potential target areas at the facility. She added that Jahn referred to ICE employees as people who showed up to collect a "dirty paycheck" and that he intended to minimize collateral damage, writing, "it was just me." Larson said the case underscores the risk and planning evident in the attack and that authorities are pursuing all potential leads.
Patel, who was in Dallas for a pre-scheduled visit and participated in incident command operations, told reporters that the attack marks a troubling convergence of anti-government rhetoric and violence against federal workers. He pledged that the investigation would examine every angle, including whether the suspect acted alone and whether any online content or networks influenced the attack. The investigation remains ongoing, with federal agents seeking to determine the shooter’s motives, any accomplices, and possible ties to broader extremist messaging.
The Dallas ICE facility shooting has raised questions about security protocols at detention facilities and the threat environment faced by federal agents. Investigators have emphasized that the incident appears to be premeditated and targeted at ICE personnel rather than a random act of violence. The case adds to a broader national discussion about the safety of federal workers amid rising politicized rhetoric surrounding immigration policy.
Authorities remind the public that the investigation is active and that the FBI, along with partner agencies, will disclose new findings as they are verified. The case continues to unfold as investigators assemble digital and physical evidence from Jahn’s residence, the crime scene, and related devices. Officials did not indicate any immediate threat to the public beyond the targeted attack against ICE, and they urged residents to remain vigilant and to report information that could assist investigators. The incident underscores the ongoing security challenges faced by law enforcement personnel and the potential for violence at facilities involved in immigration enforcement.