The marksman responsible for the fatal shooting of two migrants and the injury of a third at a Dallas Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) center has been revealed for the first time.
Identified as 29-year-old Joshua Jahn, he carried out the attack on the ICE detention facility early Wednesday morning before taking his own life as police closed in on him.
Authorities reported that Jahn was positioned on a rooftop near the building, unleashing gunfire on the migrants as they were being moved in an unmarked ICE vehicle.
While investigators continue to determine a clear motive, there is speculation that anti-law enforcement views may have sparked the tragic incident.
FBI Director Kash Patel released images of bullets found at the scene, showing ‘anti-ICE’ scrawled on the shells in blue ink.
Following Jahn’s identification as the suspect, his brother Noah expressed to NBC News that Jahn was not particularly politically inclined and had not previously discussed immigration issues.
‘He didn’t have strong feelings about ICE as far as I knew,’ his brother said.
Noah said his brother was unemployed but had previously worked as a coder, and was planning on moving in with their parents in Oklahoma.
Jahn’s criminal background includes felony charges from 2016 related to the delivery of over a quarter-ounce of marijuana, according to records that also list him as a registered independent.
Joshua Jahn, 29, the sniper who killed two migrants and wounded a third in a horror shooting at a Dallas Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility has been pictured from the first time
FBI Director Kash Patel released images of bullets found at the scene, showing ‘anti-ICE’ scrawled on the shells in blue ink
The alleged shooter’s brother reportedly spoke before he knew that his brother had been identified as the sniper, and described him as ‘unique’ without elaborating.
‘I didn’t think he was politically interested,’ he continued, saying he had last seen him two weeks before the shooting on Wednesday and nothing seemed unusual.
‘He wasn’t interested in politics on either side as far as I knew.’
The siblings grew up in Allen, Texas, and spent their childhoods attending the Boy Scouts, the brother said.
He added that his brother knew how to use a rifle that his parents owned, but insisted that ‘he’s not a marksman, that’s for sure.’
Asked about the ICE facility shooting, he remarked: ‘He would not be able to make any shots like that.’
As investigators descended on the scene in Dallas, images showed poster taped to the side of a vehicle believed to belong to Jahn.
A sign with what appears to be black splatter on the car reads: ‘Radioactive fallout from nuclear detonations that’ve passed over these areas more than 2x since 1951.’
The victims were ICE detainees, and no law enforcement were injured in the shooting
Law enforcement said that the sniper perched on a roof adjacent to the facility and rained bullets on the migrants as they were being transported in an unmarked ICE van
As investigators descended on the scene in Dallas, images showed poster taped to the side of a vehicle believed to belong to Jahn, which read: ‘Radioactive fallout from nuclear detonations that’ve passed over these areas more than 2x since 1951’
The bloodbath unfolded at the facility in the Texas city shortly after 7am CT, and a huge police presence descended on the scene
Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin told CNN that the death toll stood at two as of Wednesday afternoon. A third victim was in serious condition.
Witness Arianny Sierra told NBC that she was in her car waiting for her husband to return from an ICE appointment in the facility when she heard shots ring out.
‘The shots began at around 6:10 a.m. There were like 20 shots in a row,’ she said.
The victims were ICE detainees, and no law enforcement were injured in the shooting. Officials said at a press conference on Wednesday morning that the sniper opened fire ‘from an elevated position’ as migrants were inside the transport van.
He is believed to have been found on the roof of a nearby immigration attorney’s office, WFAA reported.
Patel said in an X post: ‘While the investigation is ongoing, an initial review of the evidence shows an ideological motive behind this attack.
‘These despicable, politically motivated attacks against law enforcement are not a one-off.’
Officials said at a press conference on Wednesday morning that the sniper opened fire ‘from an elevated position’ as migrants were inside a transport van
At the press conference on Wednesday, Texas Senator Ted Cruz made an impassioned plea for the end of politically motivated violence that has swept the nation in recent times
Although the sniper appeared to target migrants in ICE custody, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton wrote on X that the shooting represented an attack on ICE and law enforcement.
‘We will continue to do everything in our power to combat the alarming increase of targeted attacks against ICE and all law enforcement by evil, twisted individuals,’ Paxton wrote.
Vice President JD Vance added: ‘The obsessive attack on law enforcement, particularly ICE, must stop. I’m praying for everyone hurt in this attack and for their families.’
At the press conference on Wednesday, Texas Senator Ted Cruz made an impassioned plea for the end of politically motivated violence that has swept the nation in recent times.
‘We should not be putting language out there that inspires mad men to commit evil crimes,’ Cruz said. ‘Stop it, please.’
Cruz also cited the recent assassination of Charlie Kirk, telling reporters: ‘It was two weeks ago today that we saw a political assassination in Utah that tore the heart out of much of this country.’
