Authorities in Dallas have revealed that notes discovered at the home of the suspected shooter in the attack on an immigration facility indicate the individual specifically intended to target ICE agents. The acting US attorney for the Northern District of Texas, Nancy Larson, stated that the shooter, identified as 29-year-old Joshua Jahn, aimed to maximize casualties among ICE personnel and cause significant property damage, while minimizing harm to detainees.
The shooting, which occurred on Wednesday, resulted in the death of one detainee and left two others in critical condition. “It is clear from these notes that he was targeted ICE agents and ICE personnel,” Larson said at a news conference. She added that the shooter expressed a strong hatred for the federal government but no evidence was found linking him to any specific extremist group.
FBI Director Kash Patel noted that the investigation points to a high degree of planning before the attack. One of the handwritten notes reportedly stated, “Hopefully this will give ICE agents real terror, to think, ‘is there a sniper with AP rounds on that roof?'”
Larson commended the swift actions of ICE and other federal agents who worked under fire to ensure the safety of the detainees. The FBI special agent Joe Rothrock described the incident as a “targeted, ambush-style attack on law enforcement,” emphasizing the shooter’s intent to kill ICE agents and his awareness of the likelihood that detainees would be transported during the attack.