Members of the FBI examine from the rooftop at 1120 Empire Central Place work close to the scene the place a shooter opened hearth on a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility, September 24, 2025 in Dallas, Texas.
Stewart F. Home | Getty Pictures
The gunman who killed one detainee and wounded two others at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement area workplace in Dallas was making an attempt to focus on ICE personnel and seemed to be planning his assault for months, authorities mentioned Thursday.
The shooter, recognized as 29-year-old Joshua Jahn of Texas, “particularly meant to kill ICE brokers” in Wednesday’s ambush, mentioned Joe Rothrock, the particular agent in command of the FBI’s Dallas area workplace, at a information convention.
Rothrock mentioned Jahn’s plans started “months upfront.” The particular agent famous that Jahn obtained a bolt-action rifle in August and pointed to his analysis on Homeland Safety amenities.
The strongest proof of motive got here from Jahn’s personal phrases in a group of notes discovered when FBI brokers searched the shooter’s residence after the assault, Rothrock mentioned.
Nancy Larson, the appearing U.S. Legal professional for the Northern District of Texas, mentioned that Jahn described ICE workers as “folks exhibiting as much as accumulate a grimy paycheck” in a type of notes.
The notes additionally included a plan of assault and goal areas, they usually indicated that he didn’t wish to kill or hurt detainees.
Jahn additionally explicitly states within the notes, “Sure, it was simply me,” Larson mentioned. Authorities mentioned they imagine the shooter acted alone, although the investigation is ongoing.
Jahn’s actions are “the very definition of terrorism,” Larson mentioned.
The information convention got here hours after FBI Director Kash Patel mentioned in an X publish that Jahn had searched on-line for “Charlie Kirk Shot Video” as not too long ago because the day of the assault.
Jahn additionally not too long ago searched apps monitoring the presence of ICE brokers and downloaded an inventory of Homeland Safety amenities, Patel mentioned within the publish.
Patel mentioned brokers recovered a handwritten observe studying, “Hopefully this may give ICE brokers actual terror, to assume, ‘is there a sniper with AP rounds on that roof?'” The acronym seemingly refers to armor-piercing rounds.
These particulars and different collected proof point out “a excessive diploma of pre-attack planning” by Jahn, Patel mentioned.
Authorities mentioned Jahn fired “indiscriminately” on the ICE constructing from a close-by rooftop on Wednesday.
He was discovered lifeless of a self-inflicted gunshot wound following the assault.
The 2 wounded ICE detainees remained in important situation on Thursday, an company spokesperson instructed NBC Information. No ICE brokers had been wounded within the assault.
The shooter’s seek for video of the taking pictures of Kirk, the conservative activist who was assassinated throughout a crowded occasion in Utah earlier this month, might add to the proof about his motive for the assault.
The FBI has already revealed that unspent shell casings discovered close to the shooter bore “anti-ICE” messaging.
One of many unspent shell casings recovered was engraved with the phrase “ANTI ICE.”
Supply: FBI
Jahn’s brother, Noah Jahn, instructed NBC he was stunned by the political messaging.
“I did not assume he was politically ,” Noah Jahn mentioned of his brother. “He wasn’t all in favour of politics on both facet so far as I knew.”
Joshua Jahn was registered to vote as an unbiased in Oklahoma, NBC reported. He has additionally been linked to addresses in Texas.
ICE mentioned in a press release Wednesday night that the shooter opened hearth on the constructing and at a transport van positioned on the facility’s sallyport.
All three detainees had been shot whereas inside that van.
There have been 5 to seven others within the van who averted the bullet spray, an ICE official instructed NBC. Performing ICE Director Todd Lyons instructed NBC’s Tom Llamas that his brokers pulled a few of these detainees out of the road of fireplace.
“The shooter was simply taking pictures at random automobiles inside,” Lyons mentioned. “There have been some courageous women and men on the bottom that went into these vans, had been pulling these detainees out whereas they’re beneath hearth.”
Homeland Safety Division spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin, in a press release, mentioned that due to the Dallas assault and different incidents, “DHS will instantly start rising safety at ICE amenities throughout the nation.”
Migrant check-in appointments on the Dallas ICE facility scheduled for Thursday, Friday, and Saturday have all been postponed till Monday.
A Dallas Police Division car sits close to the scene of a taking pictures close to a US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention facility in Dallas, Texas, on September 24, 2025.
Aric Becker | Afp | Getty Pictures
