A tragic shooting took place on Wednesday morning at a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility in Dallas, leaving one person dead, two others hospitalized, and the gunman dead by suicide, according to Dallas police.
In a statement shared on X, police said the suspect opened fire on the government building from a nearby location. “Two people were transported to the hospital with gunshot wounds. One victim died at the scene. The suspect is deceased,” the department confirmed.
CNN reported, citing two law enforcement officials, that at least two immigrant detainees were among those who were shot. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem also confirmed on X that the shooter died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. “Details are still emerging, but we can confirm there were multiple injuries and fatalities,” she wrote, adding that the motive remains unknown.
Acting ICE director calls it a possible sniper attack
Speaking live on CNN earlier Wednesday, Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons said three people had been shot and taken to the hospital, though he did not specify whether they were employees, visitors, or detainees. He described the preliminary information as pointing to “a possible sniper.” ICE Deputy Director Madison Sheahan later told Fox News that no ICE officers were injured in the attack.
Part of a troubling trend in Texas
Wednesday’s incident marks at least the third time this year that ICE or Customs and Border Protection facilities in Texas have been targeted by gunfire. On July 4, a coordinated assault on the Prairieland Detention Center near Fort Worth left a police officer seriously injured, while days later, a man in tactical gear was killed after opening fire on a Border Patrol facility in McAllen. In August, DHS confirmed another man was arrested outside the same Dallas ICE building after claiming to have a bomb in his backpack.
As investigators work to understand the shooter’s background and motive, security has been tightened at federal facilities across the region. Federal officials are urging anyone with information to come forward as the community grapples with yet another violent attack on immigration infrastructure.
