FBI Director Kash Patel announced Thursday that investigators have uncovered substantial evidence indicating that the Dallas Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility attack was meticulously planned.
Patel said 29-year-old Joshua Jahn conducted online searches for “Charlie Kirk Shot Video” and ballistics information in the days leading up to the shooting.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) confirmed that Jahn appeared to be attempting to copy the Kirk assassination.
“The motive was becoming increasingly clear,” DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in an interview with conservative commentator Benny Johnson.
She added that the attack appears to have been inspired by Kirk and “his cold-blooded murder,” noting that shell casings recovered from the scene contained anti-ICE messages.
Investigators also recovered a document titled “Dallas County Office of Homeland Security & Emergency Management,” which included a list of DHS facilities, along with handwritten notes stating an intent to “give ICE agents real terror.”
Patel emphasized the extensive work undertaken by the FBI’s Dallas field office and headquarters, noting that agents have been processing digital devices, analyzing communications and reviewing writings from Jahn’s residence.
“Further accumulated evidence to this point indicates a high degree of pre-attack planning,” Patel said.
The attack occurred Wednesday morning