FBI investigating shooting at Dallas immigration facility as ‘act of targeted violence’
Dallas police chief Daniel Comeaux says that the FBI is investigating the incident as an act of targeted violence.
Key events
The 12-ft bronze statue depicting Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein holding hands and prancing together that was erected on the National Mall early on Tuesday has been taken down.
The statue appeared courtesy of a group of anonymous artists that goes by The Secret Handshake, who said they received a permit from the National Park Service that allowed the statue to stay up until 8pm on 28 September.
A member of the group told the Guardian that despite this, it was removed in the early hours of Wednesday. They do not know the statue’s wherabouts.
A spokesperson for United States Park Police told the Washingtonian that the force assisted the National Park Service in removing the statue Wednesday at 5:30am, “due to it not being in compliance with the permit”.
Despite receiving some serious flack recently for his premature social media updates on the Charlie Kirk shooting investigation which turned out to be wrong, FBI director Kash Patel has been quick to post on X the few details we’ve just heard from that *brief* press conference.
Patel simply confirms that one person was killed in the attack [two if we include the shooter], several wounded, the shooter took his own life, and no law enforcement personnel were hurt. He posted a photo of five shell casings, one of which is engraved with the phrase “anti Ice” in blue ink, which he said belonged to the gunman and “shows an idealogical [sic] motive behind this attack”.
Patel did not mention in his post that among the victims were Ice detainees, neither did officials at that press conference.
A reminder that the investigation is ongoing and a motivation for the shooting hasn’t yet been established.
Texas senator Ted Cruz says “politically motivated violence is wrong” and needs to stop, referring to the killing of Charlie Kirk.
Comeaux confirms that no members of law enforcement were hurt in the attack. Four people were shot and two people are dead.
Notably, Comeaux says they’re not releasing the identities of any victims at this time.
DHS earlier confirmed that detainees were “among the victims”.
Comeaux says that early evidence suggests rounds found near the shooter contained messages that were “anti-Ice in nature”.
FBI investigating shooting at Dallas immigration facility as ‘act of targeted violence’
Dallas police chief Daniel Comeaux says that the FBI is investigating the incident as an act of targeted violence.
Dallas mayor Eric Johnson is speaking now.
He asks for prayers for the city and the country.
Texas governor Greg Abbott has posted the following on X:
Texas fully supports ICE. Both the Texas Dept. of Public Safety & Texas National Guard work closely with 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. We will offer ICE additional support to assist their operations.
Abbott, and vice-president JD Vance, have been quick to frame the shooting as an attack on Ice, even though the DHS has already confirmed that no federal agents were wounded and the only confirmed victims have been detainees.
We’ll learn more of the facts in the press conference due to begin shortly.
Press conference following shooting at Ice facility due to start
Law enforcement officials will brief the media shortly following the shooting at an Ice field office in Dallas.
At least one person was pronounced dead at the scene, and two are wounded. A DHS official said that detainees were among the victims and that no federal agents were wounded.
Dan Bongino, deputy director of the FBI, said that his office is “fully engaged” with local law enforcement in Dallas following today’s shooting.
