Notes written by the person suspected of opening fire on an immigration facility in Texas indicate he was targeting ICE agents and did not intend to harm detainees, acting US attorney for the Northern district of Texas Nancy Larson said.
One detainee was killed and two others critically injured after a suspected sniper opened fire at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) centre in Dallas on Wednesday, officials said.
Speaking at a news conference on Thursday, Ms Larson identified the shooter as 29-year-old Joshua Jahn, adding notes he had written had been found at his home.
She explained he intended to maximise lethality against ICE personnel and to maximise property damage at the facility.
He hoped to minimise any collateral damage or injury to the detainees and any other innocent people, she added.
It seems that he did not intend to kill the detainees or harm them. It is clear from these notes that he was targeting ICE agents and ICE personnel.
The victims have not yet been identified.
FBI director Kash Patel said in a post on social media earlier that evidence to this point indicates a high degree of pre-attack planning.
Patel noted that one of the handwritten notes indicated Jahn wanted to instill real terror among ICE agents.
During the news conference, Larson stated the shooter very likely acted alone and described the incident as a targeted, ambush-style attack on law enforcement.
Noteworthy was Jahn's expressed hatred for the federal government, with no evidence found of ties to extremist groups.
Marcos Charles, ICE field office director, condemned the escalating violent rhetoric against ICE, emphasizing that agents responded heroically under fire to protect the detainees during the ambush.
This devastating incident has raised concerns about the safety of law enforcement personnel amidst ongoing tensions surrounding immigration enforcement in the US.
