Dallas ICE Office Shooting: FBI Investigates Social Media, Associates to Find Motive

According to investigators, a “sniper” positioned on a nearby rooftop firing “indiscriminately” at ICE’s Dallas field office, killing a detainee and critically wounding two others.

Sept. 25, 2025

5 min read

What to know

A gunman opened fire from a rooftop on ICE’s Dallas field office Wednesday, killing a detainee and critically injuring two others before dying from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Officials said bullets marked “ANTI-ICE” were recovered at the scene, and FBI investigators are digging into the suspect’s background, criminal history and possible associates.
Homeland Security has increased security at ICE facilities nationwide, as the most incident follows similar threats, including a recent bomb threat and a July 4 ambush at other ICE sites in Texas.

FBI officials investigate Wednesday a vehicle outside of an immigration attorney's office behind the Dallas field office for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement office after a shooting that killed one detainee and critically wounded two others..

Authorities as of Wednesday evening have yet to publicly identify the person who “indiscriminately” fired rounds from a long-range rifle at a Dallas U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement office building, leaving one detainee dead and two others critically injured, but are continuing to investigate the deceased suspect to find why he held “anti-ICE” sentiments.

Early Wednesday morning, a “sniper” positioned on a nearby rooftop opened fire on ICE’s Dallas field office, located in the 8100 block of North Stemmons Freeway. Officials said the shooter began firing “indiscriminately” at the building, hitting three detainees who were inside a transport van near the building’s sallyport.

One person was killed while the two other detainees sustained critical injuries, officials said. According to the Mexican Ministry of Foreign Affairs, one of the men who was seriously injured is a Mexican national.

The Dallas ICE field office is used for migrants to check in with ICE agents and hold migrants who have been arrested until they can be sent to long-term detention centers across the country. Migrants picked up by ICE at local jails are also first transferred to the field office to be processed.

The shooter was later found dead nearby of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, officials said. Dallas police and FBI spokespeople declined repeated requests for comment about the shooter’s identity, saying it would be released at a news conference or through a media release in the coming days.

No law enforcement officers were injured in the shooting.

FBI Director Kash Patel posted a picture to X of five unfired rounds purportedly recovered from the scene; one bullet had the words “ANTI-ICE” written on it in what appeared to be marker. Officials have described the incident as a targeted shooting against ICE agents, adding another possible instance of politically motivated violence a little over two weeks after conservative influencer and activist Charlie Kirk was assassinated in Utah.

Acting ICE director Todd Lyons said during a Fox News appearance Wednesday that the FBI was scrubbing the suspected shooter’s social media profiles and looking into his associates in an attempt to learn what led him to develop “anti-ICE” sentiments, and if there was a possibility the shooter did not act alone. Lyons also said the shooter had a criminal history, including a previous conviction for a drug-related offense.

Lyons also said the shooter began firing on vehicles at the facility and said he would have had no way of knowing that migrants were inside the van. Photos of the scene showed bullet holes in the windows of the facility.

Dozens of police officers swarmed the building at about 6:40 a.m. Wednesday, as well as an adjacent building that houses the law firm of an immigration lawyer. Police believe the shooter opened fire from the roof of that building, which had an exterior staircase.

Witnesses told The Dallas Morning News of a ‘terrifying’ scene as they described hearing a series of spaced out shots rip through the morning air.

While officials have not said what kind of rifle was used in the shooting, ICE Deputy Director Madison Sheahan said on Fox News that the rifle is not believed to be “modern.” The bullets found with the “ANTI-ICE” writing were found in a stripper clip, which is often used to quickly load rounds into a firearm that does not have a detachable magazine, such as a bolt-action rifle.

Following the shooting, the Department of Homeland Security said on social media that security would be increased at ICE facilities across the country, while check-ins scheduled at the Dallas facility for Thursday and Friday were rescheduled for Monday.

The shooting at the facility follows a bomb threat made to the facility last month and a July 4 shooting at an ICE detainment facility in Alvarado. In the bomb threat incident, a man was arrested after he walked up to an entrance of the building and claimed to have a bomb in his backpack.

In the July 4 incident, a police officer was wounded in a shooting after a planned protest escalated to gunfire. At least 15 people have been arrested so far in connection with what federal authorities described as a “planned ambush.” The officer who was shot in the neck survived.

At a news conference Wednesday, local and statewide leaders, including Dallas mayor Eric Johnson and U.S. Senator Ted Cruz, called for an end to “political violence” in America. Cruz spoke of Kirk’s killing earlier this month, and implored an end to rhetoric demonizing ICE and Border Patrol agents.

“Look, in America, we disagree. That’s fine. That’s the democratic process, but your political opponents are not Nazis,” Cruz said.

Other officials, including Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and Governor Greg Abbott, denounced the shooting.

The Dallas ICE office has found itself a frequent backdrop for protests over President Donald Trump’s immigration enforcement methods. Demonstrations this year have included CAIR-DFW and Students for Justice in Palestine, the Brown Berets de DFW, and regular prayer vigils by interfaith clergy and Faith Commons.

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