The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) confirmed Wednesday that one detainee is confirmed dead and two are in critical condition after a sniper opened fire on a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility in Dallas.
In a statement, DHS said the shooter opened fire from a nearby rooftop, striking a transport van in the sallyport of the ICE Dallas field office. The gunman later died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
“Three detainees were shot. One detainee is deceased, and the other two are in critical condition. The gunman was found dead with a self-inflicted gun wound,” the agency reported.
Officials said shell casings recovered at the scene contained “anti-ICE” messages.
DHS described the incident as a targeted attack on ICE law enforcement:
“Our prayers are with the families of those killed and our ICE law enforcement. This vile attack was motivated by hatred for ICE,” said Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.
“For months, we’ve been warning politicians and the media to tone down their rhetoric about ICE law enforcement before someone was killed. This shooting must serve as a wake-up call to the far-left that their rhetoric about ICE has consequences.”
Noem added that comparing ICE agents to the Gestapo or slave patrols has “very real consequences,” arguing that leftist rhetoric has fueled hostility toward federal officers.
The Dallas facility has been the target of other threats in recent months. DHS noted that on August 25, 36-year-old Bratton Dean Wilkinson was arrested after making a bomb threat against the same facility. He allegedly claimed to have a bomb in his backpack and displayed what he called a detonator on his wrist. He was charged with making terroristic threats.
The Dallas sniper has not yet been publicly identified by federal officials. Media outlets, including the Daily Mail, reported the suspect was 29-year-old Joshua Jahn, though the FBI has not confirmed.
The attack comes amid a sharp rise in assaults against ICE personnel. DHS recently reported a 1,000% increase in attacks on ICE officers in recent years.