The gunman who opened fire on a Dallas immigration office left a note saying, “Yes, it was just me,” officials said on Thursday, offering the first clear indication he acted alone.
Investigators identified the attacker as 29-year-old Joshua Jahn, who fatally shot himself after staging what the FBI described as a “targeted, ambush-style attack” on the ICE office at daybreak Wednesday. Firing from a rooftop, he struck a detainee transport van and office windows where agents worked. One detainee was killed and two others critically injured. No ICE personnel were hurt.
Nancy Larson, the acting US attorney for the Northern District of Texas, said Jahn “very likely acted alone.” Agents searching his home recovered handwritten notes and electronic files. One of them said, “Yes, it was just me.” Other notes were sharply critical of ICE agents and indicated he hoped to avoid hurting any detainees.
“He specifically intended to kill ICE agents,” said Joseph Rothrock, who leads the FBI’s Dallas office. Investigators also found a downloaded document listing Homeland Security facilities and evidence of internet searches about ballistics and the recent campus assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk in Utah.
On the social platform X, FBI Director Kash Patel posted a photo of a bullet from the scene with “ANTI-ICE” scrawled on it. He said Jahn’s planning showed “a high degree of pre-attack preparation.”
Officials said there is no evidence Jahn was tied to any organized extremist group, though his writings expressed deep hostility toward ICE and the federal government.
The Dallas shooting was the latest in a string of violent incidents aimed at immigration authorities. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has ordered stepped-up security at ICE facilities nationwide.
Immigrant advocacy groups condemned the violence while calling for dignity and safety for migrants. The American Immigration Lawyers Association called the shootings “a stark reminder that behind every immigration case number is a human being deserving of dignity, safety and respect.”
“Whether they are individuals navigating the immigration process, public servants carrying out their duties, or professionals working within the system, all deserve to be free from violence and fear,” the group said in a statement.
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With inputs from Reuters