Senator Ted Cruz: “Your political enemy is not the Nazis.”
Sen. Ted Cruz spoke after two detainees were killed at an ice facility in Dallas, Texas, and another defendant was seriously injured in the shooting of a sniper.
Three detainees from Dallas immigrants and customs enforcement facilities were shot dead on Wednesday, September 24th, with one killed.
The shooting developed when the suspect fired a nearby rooftop at a Texas Icefield office around 6:40am on September 24th, authorities said. According to FBI Director Kash Patel, the shooter also died in an obvious self-harmed gunshot wound, and was found near a shell casing that was not ahead of “anti-ice” written on it.
As investigators work to identify motives for the shooting, the FBI claimed in a September 25 update that previous evidence revealed advanced planning of the attack and a desire to instill “real fear” in ice agents.
It was the latest shooting that sparked tension national debate over political rhetoric and violence. Two weeks ago, conservative activist and ally of President Donald Trump, Charlie Kirk, was killed in a single shot during a speaking event at the University of Utah. The ice facilities are increasing security as a result of the September 24 shooting, officials said.
“This is wrong. Political-motivated violence is wrong,” said Texas Sen. Ted Cruz.
Authorities have not yet officially named the suspect, but media outlets, including CNN, NBC and The New York Times, reported that they were identified as Joshua Jahn, citing an anonymous source familiar with the investigation. Dallas Police Department and ICE officials did not immediately return requests for details about the suspect early on September 25th.
Here’s what we know about filming so far:
Planned Shooting Attack: FBI
Patel said investigators gathered evidence showing “advanced pre-attack plan” in the fatal shooting at a Dallas ice facility.
The shooter downloaded documents containing a list of homeland security facilities, tracked the presence of ice agents, sought information about ballistics, and searched for apps that looked into video footage of Charlie Kirk’s assassination shared on X.
Patel also said investigators had recovered the handwritten notes.
The writings and search history were obtained from electronic devices and other items seized from the shooter’s home, Patel said.
How did the shootings at the Dallas Ice Facility unfold?
According to a database of active police calls in the city of Dallas, 38 police forces responded to a 6:38am call for assistance at 8100 N. Stemmons Freeway, a local ice facility.
Authorities said shooters on a nearby rooftop fired “indiscriminately” on the building, and a van carrying detainees in Surryport opened fire.
Three detainees were shot dead, one died, and two were shot dead in critical condition, the Department of Homeland Security said in its latest update. Previous updates from DHS have shown that two casualties have died.
Among the victims of the shooting were Mexicans “really injured,” the Foreign Office said in a statement.
Anti-ice messages found in the round
FBI Director Kash Patel said “the initial review of the evidence shows the ideological motives behind this attack.”
He posted an image on X of ammunition on the scene, including one engraved in the phrase “anti-ice.”
The FBI is investigating the incident as an act of violence targeting it, said Joseph Rothlock, a special agent in charge of the Dallas FBI Field Office.
“This is the latest example of this type of attack,” he said.
Authorities condemn violence against the ice in a series of incidents
Officials after the shooting said attacks on immigration agencies “mune must be stopped.”
“We don’t know the motivation yet, but we know that our ICE law enforcement agencies face unprecedented violence against them, and that has to be stopped.”
In July, an ice facility near the Dallas-Fort Worth area was attacked with a shooting that injured a local police officer. Ice facilities across the country were protest sites, and sometimes became violent as clashes between federal officials and demonstrators. Last month, Dallas Icefield issued an order for the shelter after a man approached the building and claimed he had an explosive device in his backpack.
Republicans, including Vice President JD Vance, point to liberal rhetoric that promotes violent attacks. A study by the Cato Institute, libertarian think tank earlier this month, found that terrorists motivated by extreme, correct, guided ideology killed six times as many people as the other side of the political spectrum this year, from 1975 to September 10th.
Contributions: Eduardo Quebas, Michael Loria and Lauren Villaglan, USA TODAY
