In a scenario that has become all too familiar, a shocking shooting quickly led to an immediate search for answers and motives. As with the assassination of Charlie Kirk just two weeks prior, a violent incident at a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility in Dallas on Wednesday—resulting in at least one detainee killed and two others seriously injured—rapidly sparked a flurry of conflicting information and opinions.
Federal authorities confirmed that the shooter had opened fire “indiscriminately” from a nearby building’s roof, striking several victims. Officials later identified the gunman as Joshua Jahn, 29, who died of self-inflicted gunshot wounds.
Following the tragedy, Vice President JD Vance was quick to label the shooter a “violent left-wing extremist” at a North Carolina speaking event. He claimed that unreleased information proved the individual was “politically motivated,” without offering further evidence.
However, The Times’ independent investigations, which included interviews with various authorities, could not corroborate Mr. Vance’s portrayal of the shooter or the alleged motive. Despite having an extensive online presence, Mr. Jahn displayed minimal obvious interest in politics, though he did vote in a Democratic primary in Texas in 2020.
The Dallas shooting also triggered a high-profile verbal clash involving Mr. Vance, prominent progressive podcast host Jon Favreau, and California Governor Gavin Newsom. Mr. Vance suggested that Mr. Newsom’s critical rhetoric against ICE had fostered a dangerous environment, a sentiment echoed by former President Trump, who placed blame on liberals for the violence. This swift pivot to political point-scoring, often based on premature conclusions and impassioned anger, has unfortunately become a common pattern following such attacks.
The online argument between Mr. Vance and Mr. Favreau ignited hours after the shooting. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, while announcing “unprecedented violence” against ICE law enforcement, noted that a motive had not yet been established. Mr. Vance then re-posted Ms. Noem’s message, adding his own commentary that “the obsessive attack on law enforcement, particularly ICE, must stop.”
Mr. Vance’s post quickly drew the ire of Mr. Favreau, a former speechwriter for President Barack Obama and co-host of the popular political podcast “Pod Save America.” Mr. Favreau asserted that “the vice president is not a reliable source of information” and recalled previous instances where Mr. Vance’s “political take” was later contradicted by official law enforcement findings.
Both the assassination of Mr. Kirk and Wednesday’s Dallas shooting involved messages found written on bullets at the scene. In Dallas, F.B.I. Director Kash Patel shared an image of a rifle-caliber ammunition casing marked “ANTI-ICE” in blue writing. However, the precise motivations behind these bullet messages in either incident remain unclear, and The Times has not independently confirmed the details regarding the Dallas ammunition casing.
This morning just before 7am local time, an individual fired multiple rounds at a Dallas, Texas ICE facility, killing one, wounding several others, before taking his own life. FBI, DHS, ATF are on the ground with Dallas PD and state authorities.
While the investigation is… pic.twitter.com/SMOyxiKLqA
— FBI Director Kash Patel (@FBIDirectorKash) September 24, 2025
This fierce exchange between Mr. Favreau and the Vice President, reportedly culminating in a profanity from Mr. Vance, underscored just one facet of the rapidly intensifying ideological battle between political factions.
By late Wednesday afternoon, former President Trump had also joined the attack on Democrats. On Truth Social, he declared: “CALLING ON ALL DEMOCRATS TO STOP THIS RHETORIC AGAINST ICE AND AMERICA’S LAW ENFORCEMENT, RIGHT NOW!” and decried “the Left Wing Domestic Terrorism that is terrorizing our Country.”
“The continuing violence from Radical Left Terrorists, in the aftermath of Charlie Kirk’s assassination, must be stopped,” Mr. Trump added.
In a subsequent statement, Homeland Security Secretary Noem echoed these concerns, stating that the “far-left” needed to temper its rhetoric. She warned that “Comparing ICE Day-in and day-out to the Nazi Gestapo, the Secret Police, and slave patrols has consequences.”
Mr. Vance escalated his attacks further in his North Carolina speech, targeting Governor Newsom. He accused the Democrat of “demonizing ICE as part of an authoritarian government” during a Tuesday night interview on “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.”
“If your political rhetoric encourages violence against our law enforcement, you can go straight to hell and you have no place in the political conversation of the United States of America,” Mr. Vance proclaimed.
Mr. Newsom, also considered a potential presidential candidate for 2028, had expressed profound concern about the “alarming beyond words” ICE issue on Colbert’s show. He criticized federal agents’ tactics, including the use of masks and unmarked cars, stating, “These are not just authoritarian tendencies, these are authoritarian actions by an authoritarian government. This can’t be normalized.”
On Wednesday, Mr. Newsom publicly responded to Mr. Vance’s remarks on X, posting: “No thanks, JD. I will not be going ‘straight to hell’ today.” He concluded, “Though when I watch you speak I certainly feel like I’m already there.”