Sniper opens fire on Dallas ICE facility, killing 2 detainees, wounding 1: DHS

(DALLAS) — A sniper opened fire on the Dallas Immigration and Customs Enforcement field office on Wednesday morning, killing two detainees and critically wounding a third, the Department of Homeland Security said.

Dallas police initially said one victim was killed and two were wounded.

Although only detainees were shot, the Department of Homeland Security called the shooting “an attack on ICE law enforcement.”

The shooter, who was on a nearby rooftop, “fired indiscriminately at the ICE building, including at a van in the sallyport where the victims were shot,” DHS said in a statement.

The shooter died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, officials said.

The FBI said the shooting is being investigated “as an act of targeted violence.”

FBI special agent Joe Rothrock said it appeared that rounds “found near the suspected shooter contain messages that are anti-ICE in nature.”

FBI Director Kash Patel released images of recovered unspent shell casings, including one engraved with the phrase “ANTI-ICE,” and DHS released a photo that appears to show a gunshot in an American flag display.

The incident comes as ICE has been ramping up deportation efforts throughout the country and DHS says ICE officers are facing a more than a 1,000% increase in assaults against them.

Two Texas facilities were targeted this July: a police officer was shot at an ICE detention facility in Alvarado and a gunman opened fire at the entrance of the Border Patrol sector annex in McAllen.

In the wake of Wednesday’s shooting, federal officials are stressing that attacks on ICE and law enforcement must end.

“Our prayers are with the families of those killed and our ICE law enforcement. This vile attack was motivated by hatred for ICE,” DHS Secretary Kristi Noem said in a statement. “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.”

“This is the second time I’ve had to stand in front of you and talk about a shooter at one of my facilities. And I think that the takeaway from all of this is that the rhetoric has to stop,” Dallas ICE official Joshua Johnson said at the news conference.

“This needs to stop,” Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, said at a news conference. “Violence is wrong, politically motivated violence is wrong.”

“These despicable, politically motivated attacks against law enforcement are not a one-off. … It has to end,” Patel added in a statement.

Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons said he would put all ICE facilities on a higher alert to protect agents and civilians carrying out the agency’s mission.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.