11 Officers Shot By Snipers in Dallas; 5 Are Dead as Downtown Becomes Massive Crime Scene
Jul 8, 2016, 1:17am CDT
By WFAA-TV
UPDATE: 1:03 a.m.: Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings joined Dallas Police Chief David Brown for a brief news conference shortly after 12:30 a.m. to offer an update on the situation. Rawlings said that he has heard from the White House and Gov. Greg Abbott's office and that both have extended offers of assistance to the city.
Brown said that DPD is currently in negotiations with a suspect involved in the shootings that is holed up on the second floor of the El Centro College parking garage in downtown. "The suspect we have been negotiating with for the last 45 minutes has been exchanging gunfire and not being very cooperative," Brown said. The police chief has asked for plans to "end this standoff" with the suspect.
11 officers were shot by two snipers operating from elevated positions. At least 4 Dallas Police Department officers are dead.
11 officers were shot by two snipers operating from elevated positions. At least 4 Dallas… more
WFAA-TV
Brown also added that the police have a female in custody who was near the El Centro garage. Additionally, officers followed a Mercedes with two suspects who had camouflaged bags, taking them into custody on Interstate 35 in Oak Cliff.
The suspect in the garage has made multiple statements about "the end is coming" and that he intends to kill more police officers, Brown said. The suspect also has told negotiators that there are multiple bombs in the parking garage and located around downtown.
Brown added that DPD is not confident that all suspects in this attack have been located.
Rawlings noted that the impacted area of downtown is still an active crime scene, so morning commutes will likely be affected, as well as the possibility of buildings being closed. "There are many people who work in the downtown area and we ask that they stay away from that crime scene," he said, adding that the city will post the boundary of the crime scene at DallasCityNews.net. The mayor asked that employees check with their respective buildings and employers to see if they will be open and accessible in the morning before coming downtown.
"It's a heartbreaking morning to lose these four officers that proudly served our citizens," said an emotional Rawlings. "To say that our police officers put their lives on the line every day is not hyperbole," he added. "It's a reality."
Brown added that DPD is operating under the assumption that the suspects were acting together, given that they took up triangulated elevated positions where the route of the march ended up passing. "How would you know to post up there?" said Brown, adding that the department is leaving all motives on the table for the time being.
UPDATE: 12:23 a.m.: The Next Generation Action Network, the organization that set up the protest that started at 7 p.m., condemned the attack, saying in a prepared statement that "these cowardly acts were committed by individuals in no way affiliated with NGAN." The protest stemmed from the fatal shootings of black men by white police officers in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and Falcon Heights, Minnesota earlier this week.
Gov. Greg Abbott also released a statement on the shootings: "Our thoughts and prayers are with the Dallas law enforcement community and the Dallas Area Rapid Transit officers killed and injured this evening. I've spoken to Texas Department of Public Safety Director Steve McGraw and have directed him to offer whatever assistance the City of Dallas needs at this time. In times like this we must remember, and emphasize, the importance of uniting as Americans."
Meanwhile, a massive police presence has surrounded a vehicle and are questioning two individuals they took into custody on Interstate 35 at Ann Arbor Ave. in Dallas.
According to Dallas police, that situation began when a Dallas police officer saw an individual carrying a camouflage bag walking quickly down Lamar Street. The individual threw the bag into a black Mercedes, then sped off at a high rate of speed.
Officers followed the vehicle southbound on I-35 and stopped it on I-35 at Kiest. Police are questioning both occupants of the vehicle.
Multiple citizens recorded harrowing video on social media in the midst of an active shooter situation in downtown Dallas Thursday night. Several exchanges of gunfire can be heard in a Facebook Live video here at WFAA's site. (Warning: The video contains explicit language).
UPDATE: 11:40 p.m.: DPD has confirmed the death of a fourth officer. The person of interest whose picture was circulated by the department has turned himself in, while a second suspect who was involved in a shootout with SWAT officers is now in custody. A suspicious package found near the second suspect has been secured by DPD's bomb squad.
UPDATE: 11:30 p.m.: WFAA reports that another police officer is dead, bringing the total number to four killed in tonight's attack in downtown.
UPDATE: 11:12 p.m.: Dallas Police Chief David Brown said that one of the suspects has been cornered on the second floor of the parking garage at El Centro College. The DPD is negotiating with the suspect to surrender peacefully.
Original story below:
WFAA-TV is reporting that 11 police officers were shot in downtown tonight during a protest of officer-involved shootings across the United States. At least three Dallas Police Department officers are dead, reports WFAA, citing Dallas Police Chief David Brown. As of 10:45 p.m., two DPD officers were in surgery, with three others in critical condition.
Sources told WFAA that the officers were shot by two snipers operating from elevated positions. A witness told WFAA that one of the shooters was shooting from a building's roof and specifically targeting officers. The source claimed to have heard at least 50 rounds during the shooting.
No suspects are in custody. WFAA reports that DPD is conducting a room-by-room search in the buildings in downtown. The shots were fired as the march was moving down Lamar Street near Griffin before 9 p.m., according to WFAA.
"Tonight it appears that two snipers shot ten police officers from elevated positions during the protest/rally," Brown wrote in a prepared statement. "Three officers are deceased, two are in surgery and three are in critical condition. An intensive search for suspects is currently underway. No suspects are in custody at this time. We ask that any citizen with information regarding the shootings tonight call 214-671-3485."
WFAA-TV is a content partner of the Dallas Business Journal. We will update this story as new information is made available. For live coverage of this breaking news event, tune in to Channel 8 or go to WFAA.com.
By WFAA-TV
UPDATE: 1:03 a.m.: Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings joined Dallas Police Chief David Brown for a brief news conference shortly after 12:30 a.m. to offer an update on the situation. Rawlings said that he has heard from the White House and Gov. Greg Abbott's office and that both have extended offers of assistance to the city.
Brown said that DPD is currently in negotiations with a suspect involved in the shootings that is holed up on the second floor of the El Centro College parking garage in downtown. "The suspect we have been negotiating with for the last 45 minutes has been exchanging gunfire and not being very cooperative," Brown said. The police chief has asked for plans to "end this standoff" with the suspect.
11 officers were shot by two snipers operating from elevated positions. At least 4 Dallas Police Department officers are dead.
11 officers were shot by two snipers operating from elevated positions. At least 4 Dallas… more
WFAA-TV
Brown also added that the police have a female in custody who was near the El Centro garage. Additionally, officers followed a Mercedes with two suspects who had camouflaged bags, taking them into custody on Interstate 35 in Oak Cliff.
The suspect in the garage has made multiple statements about "the end is coming" and that he intends to kill more police officers, Brown said. The suspect also has told negotiators that there are multiple bombs in the parking garage and located around downtown.
Brown added that DPD is not confident that all suspects in this attack have been located.
Rawlings noted that the impacted area of downtown is still an active crime scene, so morning commutes will likely be affected, as well as the possibility of buildings being closed. "There are many people who work in the downtown area and we ask that they stay away from that crime scene," he said, adding that the city will post the boundary of the crime scene at DallasCityNews.net. The mayor asked that employees check with their respective buildings and employers to see if they will be open and accessible in the morning before coming downtown.
"It's a heartbreaking morning to lose these four officers that proudly served our citizens," said an emotional Rawlings. "To say that our police officers put their lives on the line every day is not hyperbole," he added. "It's a reality."
Brown added that DPD is operating under the assumption that the suspects were acting together, given that they took up triangulated elevated positions where the route of the march ended up passing. "How would you know to post up there?" said Brown, adding that the department is leaving all motives on the table for the time being.
UPDATE: 12:23 a.m.: The Next Generation Action Network, the organization that set up the protest that started at 7 p.m., condemned the attack, saying in a prepared statement that "these cowardly acts were committed by individuals in no way affiliated with NGAN." The protest stemmed from the fatal shootings of black men by white police officers in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and Falcon Heights, Minnesota earlier this week.
Gov. Greg Abbott also released a statement on the shootings: "Our thoughts and prayers are with the Dallas law enforcement community and the Dallas Area Rapid Transit officers killed and injured this evening. I've spoken to Texas Department of Public Safety Director Steve McGraw and have directed him to offer whatever assistance the City of Dallas needs at this time. In times like this we must remember, and emphasize, the importance of uniting as Americans."
Meanwhile, a massive police presence has surrounded a vehicle and are questioning two individuals they took into custody on Interstate 35 at Ann Arbor Ave. in Dallas.
According to Dallas police, that situation began when a Dallas police officer saw an individual carrying a camouflage bag walking quickly down Lamar Street. The individual threw the bag into a black Mercedes, then sped off at a high rate of speed.
Officers followed the vehicle southbound on I-35 and stopped it on I-35 at Kiest. Police are questioning both occupants of the vehicle.
Multiple citizens recorded harrowing video on social media in the midst of an active shooter situation in downtown Dallas Thursday night. Several exchanges of gunfire can be heard in a Facebook Live video here at WFAA's site. (Warning: The video contains explicit language).
UPDATE: 11:40 p.m.: DPD has confirmed the death of a fourth officer. The person of interest whose picture was circulated by the department has turned himself in, while a second suspect who was involved in a shootout with SWAT officers is now in custody. A suspicious package found near the second suspect has been secured by DPD's bomb squad.
UPDATE: 11:30 p.m.: WFAA reports that another police officer is dead, bringing the total number to four killed in tonight's attack in downtown.
UPDATE: 11:12 p.m.: Dallas Police Chief David Brown said that one of the suspects has been cornered on the second floor of the parking garage at El Centro College. The DPD is negotiating with the suspect to surrender peacefully.
Original story below:
WFAA-TV is reporting that 11 police officers were shot in downtown tonight during a protest of officer-involved shootings across the United States. At least three Dallas Police Department officers are dead, reports WFAA, citing Dallas Police Chief David Brown. As of 10:45 p.m., two DPD officers were in surgery, with three others in critical condition.
Sources told WFAA that the officers were shot by two snipers operating from elevated positions. A witness told WFAA that one of the shooters was shooting from a building's roof and specifically targeting officers. The source claimed to have heard at least 50 rounds during the shooting.
No suspects are in custody. WFAA reports that DPD is conducting a room-by-room search in the buildings in downtown. The shots were fired as the march was moving down Lamar Street near Griffin before 9 p.m., according to WFAA.
"Tonight it appears that two snipers shot ten police officers from elevated positions during the protest/rally," Brown wrote in a prepared statement. "Three officers are deceased, two are in surgery and three are in critical condition. An intensive search for suspects is currently underway. No suspects are in custody at this time. We ask that any citizen with information regarding the shootings tonight call 214-671-3485."
WFAA-TV is a content partner of the Dallas Business Journal. We will update this story as new information is made available. For live coverage of this breaking news event, tune in to Channel 8 or go to WFAA.com.
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