One person has been killed and two others injured in a shooting at a US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) field office in Dallas.
Authorities added that the shooter died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
The Dallas police department said that officers responded to a call at approximately 6.40am on Wednesday.
“The preliminary investigation determined that a suspect opened fire at a government building from an adjacent building.Two people were transported to the hospital with gunshot wounds. One victim died at the scene. The suspect is deceased.”
Police Statement
Kristi Noem, the Department of Homeland Security Secretary, confirmed in a statement that the suspected shooter died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound and said that details about the incident were “still emerging” but confirmed that there were “multiple injuries and fatalities” at the ICE field office.
“While we don’t know motive yet, we know that our Ice law enforcement is facing unprecedented violence against them. It must stop.”
Kristi Noem
At a news conference, Joe Rothrock, the Head of the FBI field office in Dallas, said that “rounds that were found near the suspected shooter contain messages that are anti-Ice in nature.”
According to a post from the FBI Director, Kash Patel, one of the unspent shell casings recovered was engraved with the phrase “ANTI ICE.”
Authorities said that the FBI is investigating this incident as an act of targeted violence. They said that they are not releasing the identities of any of the victims at this time, but confirmed that no members of law enforcement were injured during the attack.
At the conference, the Republican Senator Ted Cruz, who represents Texas, said that “politically motivated violence is wrong,” adding that “this is the third shooting in Texas directed at ICE” or Customs and Border Protection.
He refered to the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk earlier this month. Cruz stated that politicians need to work together without demonising each other, and that your political opponents are “not Nazis.” He added, “We should not be putting language out there that inspires mad men to commit evil crimes.”
During the news conference, Eric Johnson, the Mayor of Dallas, urged residents to “be patient, remain calm, and let our law enforcement partners, and our police department, do their job.”
Law enforcement officials told a news agency that at least two of the victims were Ice detainees.
Todd Lyons, the acting ICE Director, told the network that the “scene is secure” and said that three people were shot and taken to the hospital.
Dan Bongino, the Deputy Director of the FBI, said that the agency is “fully engaged, in conjunction with our state and federal law enforcement partners, at the crime scene in Dallas.”
Shooting Incident Slammed
JD Vance, the Vice President, called the shooting an “obsessive attack on law enforcement” that “must stop.”
Though, as noted above, no ICE agents were injured. “I’m praying for everyone hurt in this attack and for their families,” Vance wrote on X.
John Cornyn, another Republican Senator who represents Texas, called the shooting “horrific.”
“While law enforcement investigates, I am keeping everyone impacted in my prayers. My staff have been in touch with federal & local officials in Dallas, and we will make sure all resources are brought to bear in the investigation.”
John Cornyn
Texas’ Governor, Greg Abbott, said in a statement that “Texas fully supports ICE.”
“This assassination will NOT slow our arrest, detention, & deportation of illegal immigrants. We will work with ICE & the Dallas Police Dept. to get to the bottom of the assassin’s motive.”
Greg Abbott
