Dallas, TX – A meticulously planned sniper attack on a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility in Dallas on September 24, 2025, resulted in the death of one detainee and critical injuries to two others. The shooter, identified as 29-year-old Joshua Jahn, died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound after firing from a rooftop, according to federal investigators. Authorities have classified the incident as an act of terrorism, revealing that Jahn harbored an intense animus towards ICE agents and meticulously plotted the assault to instill fear and inflict harm.
A Deadly Morning Ambush
The attack began shortly after dawn, around 6:40 a.m. Central Daylight Time, when Jahn positioned himself on the rooftop of a nearby attorney’s office. From this vantage point, he unleashed a volley of gunfire towards the ICE field office and a transport van carrying detainees in the facility’s sally port. The fortified entryway, typically used for processing individuals in custody, became the scene of tragedy as three detainees were struck by the indiscriminately fired rounds. One detainee was killed at the scene, while the other two sustained critical injuries and were rushed to nearby hospitals for treatment. Crucially, no ICE officers or other facility personnel were harmed during the harrowing incident.
The Lone Gunman: Joshua Jahn
Federal investigators quickly identified the shooter as Joshua Jahn, a 29-year-old resident of Fairview, Texas. Public records indicate Jahn had ties to North Texas and Oklahoma. His background includes a prior drug-related arrest in 2015 for distributing marijuana, for which he received probation. He legally purchased the 8mm bolt-action rifle used in the attack in August 2025, just a month prior to the incident. While authorities are still piecing together every aspect of his life, initial reports suggest Jahn was a registered independent voter who last cast a ballot in November 2024. His family members have described him as largely apolitical, with his brother noting he wasn’t particularly interested in politics. However, evidence uncovered by investigators paints a starkly different picture of his intentions.
Motive and Premeditation: Notes of Hate
Handwritten notes discovered at Jahn’s residence and among his personal effects provided chilling insight into his motivations. These documents revealed a deep-seated hatred for ICE personnel, whom he disparagingly referred to as “people showing up to collect a dirty pay check” and accused of “human trafficking.” One note explicitly stated his objective: “I want to cause terror” and “Hopefully this will give ICE agents real terror, to think, ‘is there a sniper with AP rounds on that roof?'”.
Investigators also found unfired ammunition marked “ANTI-ICE”. The meticulous nature of the planning extended to digital realms. Jahn reportedly searched for information on the ICE facility’s location and used apps designed to track ICE agents’ movements. He also downloaded a document detailing Department of Homeland Security (DHS) facilities and, in the days leading up to the attack, researched videos related to the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. This extensive pre-attack planning, described by officials as a “high degree of pre-attack planning,” strongly indicated an ideological motive, with Jahn intending to maximize casualties among ICE personnel and cause significant property damage.
Tragic Irony for Detainees
The victims of Jahn’s attack were detainees, individuals already in federal custody. The fact that a detainee was killed and two others injured represents a “tragic irony,” according to acting U.S. Attorney Nancy Larson, especially given Jahn’s stated intention to minimize harm to detainees. While Jahn’s primary target was ICE agents, the chaos of the shooting meant innocent individuals in the sally port van became the unintended casualties of his terror plot. The identities of the deceased and injured detainees have not been publicly released, though Mexico’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed one of the injured was a Mexican national.
Investigation Declares Terrorism, Lone Wolf Operation
Federal authorities, including the FBI and DHS, swiftly launched an investigation. The FBI’s Dallas Field Office, led by Special Agent in Charge Joseph Rothrock, confirmed that all evidence pointed towards Jahn acting alone. “Based on our investigation to date, we believe Jahn acted alone, but I will stress our investigation continues,” Rothrock stated. The FBI is treating the incident as a “targeted attack” and an act of “terrorism” due to the shooter’s clear intent, planning, and anti-ICE messaging. No evidence has emerged to suggest Jahn was affiliated with any specific extremist group or organization.
A Troubling Rise in Threats Against Law Enforcement
The Dallas shooting is the latest in an alarming trend of escalating threats and attacks against ICE personnel and facilities across the nation. DHS statistics released earlier in the year indicated a staggering 500% increase in assaults against ICE officers during enforcement operations. “This attack, yet again, underscores the dangers that law enforcement officers face daily,” Rothrock remarked, noting the “increase in threats against law enforcement”.
This incident was not the first security concern at the Dallas ICE facility. In August 2025, approximately one month prior to the shooting, a man claimed to have a bomb in his backpack at the facility’s entrance, prompting a bomb squad response. Similar incidents have occurred at other ICE and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) facilities in Texas this year, including a coordinated attack on an immigration detention center near Fort Worth in July that injured a police officer, and an incident in McAllen where a man fired on federal agents. Some officials and lawmakers have attributed this surge in violence to “violent rhetoric” and anti-ICE sentiment amplified by political discourse.
Official Reactions and Calls for Unity
The attack drew swift condemnation from federal and state officials. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem described the incident as a “vile attack motivated by hatred for ICE” and a “wake-up call to the far-left that their rhetoric about ICE has consequences”. Vice President JD Vance denounced the “obsessive attack on law enforcement” and called for an end to hostility against officers.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott condemned the “brutal and inexcusable act of violence,” assuring federal officials of the state’s full cooperation in the investigation. He emphasized the importance of “peaceful discourse” and “law and order,” warning against the nation becoming “a country prone to such violence”. A bipartisan group of Texas Democratic Congress members also released a statement expressing horror at the shooting, condemning “all forms of violence,” and urging restraint from rhetoric that “fans the flames,” while also criticizing administrations for “stoking the flames of division, hate, and anger”.
The shooting underscores the persistent challenges faced by law enforcement in an increasingly polarized environment. As investigations continue, the focus remains on ensuring the safety of ICE personnel and facilities while grappling with the underlying causes of such extreme acts of violence.
