The man who shot and killed a detainee and hospitalized two others at a Dallas immigration facility before turning the gun on himself acted alone and left detailed notes stating he intended to shoot and terrorize U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, the U.S. Justice Department said Thursday.
Fairview resident Joshua Jahn, 29, opened fire with a bolt-action rifle at a Dallas ICE field office around 6:30 a.m., shooting across the length of building, through windows, and toward law enforcement vans, where he hit three detainees being transferred. One died and two were taken to a nearby hospital, where they are undergoing treatment, acting U.S. Attorney Nancy Larson said at a press conference Thursday.
Law enforcement obtained warrants for devices and locations associated with Jahn, and at his home, found a collection of notes. One said: “yes, it was just me and my brain,” Larson said. He referred to ICE agents as "people showing up to collect a dirty paychecK,” and said he wanted to maximize harm against ICE while minimizing collateral damage.
The fact that he killed a detainee and injured two others was a "tragic irony," Larson said.
“This, what he did, is the very definition of terrorism," she said.
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Earlier that morning, around 3 a.m., Jahn was reportedly seen on camera footage driving with a large ladder in his car, which the DOJ believe is what he used to "position himself" on top of an adjacent building. After the shooting started, the Dallas Police Department responded, and eventually found Jahn dead on the roof of that building.
Found at the scene, according to the DOJ and FBI, was unspent shell casing, one of which was scrawled with the words, "Anti-ICE."
The FBI did not find evidence of an specific political group, and the notes did not single out any agency other than ICE. Other notes found in Jahn's home, according to Larson, did make clear he did not intend to kill detainees or harm them. He also wrote, "good luck with the digital footprint,” Larson said — indicating he likely destroyed digital evidence or otherwise scrubbed his online presence.
This is a developing story and will be updated.