Joshua Jahn, the lone suspect in the fatal shooting at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement field office in Dallas on September 24, has been identified, officials said on September 25.
Jahn, 29, is suspected of firing at the immigration prison indiscriminately from the rooftop of a nearby law office, killing one detainee and badly injuring two others, according to Nancy Larson, the acting US attorney for the Northern District of Texas.
Law enforcement later discovered the suspect dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Officials believe Jahn, from Fairview, Texas, acted alone. Larson said there is no proof that he belonged to any specific group or entity.
FBI officials stated the shooting was being investigated as a “act of targeted violence” against immigration agents, citing evidence such as a shell casing labeled “ANTI ICE” and a message stating, “Hopefully this will give ICE agents real terror.”
No agents were injured in the attack. Larson described the act as “the very definition of terrorism.”
Who is Joshua Jahn?
Currently, very little is known. Jahn is an American citizen and not an immigrant, according to officials.
Jahn’s older brother, Noah Jahn, told NBC that his family grew raised in Texas. Joshua Jahn, who was unemployed, was preparing to relocate to Oklahoma with their parents, Noah Jahn informed the media.
Noah Jahn stated that Joshua Jahn was not very interested in politics and had no strong sentiments regarding ICE, as far as he could tell.
According to Oklahoma voter registration data, Joshua Jahn registered as an independent. He last voted in the November 5th, 2024 election.
Jahn was arrested and charged with marijuana delivery in Collin County, Texas in 2015. He later pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 5 years probation and a $500 fine, according to Texas court records.
What type of weapon did he use?
Jahn used an 8mm bolt-action rifle that he legally purchased in August, according to Joseph Rothrock, special agent in charge of the Dallas FBI field office. He took a ladder in his car and used it to perch atop the structure and fired at the ICE office shortly after 6:30 a.m.
The DHS described the shooting as indiscriminate, with a sniper firing at the facility and a van at the entrance, where individuals were hit inside.
Tricia McLaughlin, DHS’s assistant secretary for public relations, shared photos of a bullet-riddled office window and framed American flag.
Larson said Jahn’s handwritten notes show he wanted to “maximize lethality” against ICE personnel and property destruction while minimizing harm to inmates.
What was the suspect’s motive?
Officials have classified the incident as an attack on immigration personnel. He utilized ICE tracking applications to locate agents, according to officials.
According to Larson, Jahn’s scribbled notes stated that ICE officers were showing up to “collect a dirty paycheck” and were participating in “human trafficking.”
The suspect reportedly left behind gun casings etched with “anti-ICE messages,” Rothrock claimed. On X, FBI Director Kash Patel uploaded an image of a casing with the words “ANTI ICE” on it.
Since the shooting, police have uncovered further papers as well as search history, indicating “a high degree of pre-attack planning,” Patel stated.
According to Patel, the suspect allegedly downloaded a document containing a list of Department of Homeland Security sites, searched for apps that tracked the presence of ICE agents, sought ballistics information, and looked for video footage of Charlie Kirk’s assassination.
The FBI head stated that investigators also discovered a handwritten note reading, “Hopefully this will give ICE agents real terror, to think, ‘Is there a sniper with AP rounds on that roof?'”
