Dallas cop shooter amassed arsenal at home
Investigators search Johnson's in the Dallas suburb of Mesquite. Photo: AP.
A US army veteran killed by Dallas police after the sniper slayings of five officers amassed a personal arsenal at his suburban home, including bomb-making materials, bulletproof vests, rifles, ammunition and a journal of combat tactics.
Investigators search Johnson’s home in the Dallas suburb of Mesquite. Photo: AP.
The man identified as 25-year-old Micah Johnson told authorities that he was upset about the police shootings of two black men earlier this week and wanted to exterminate whites, “especially white officers,” officials said.
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He was killed by a robot-delivered bomb after the shootings. In all, 12 officers were shot.
Johnson was a private first class from the Dallas suburb of Mesquite with a specialty in carpentry and masonry.
He served in the US army reserve for six years starting in 2009 and did one tour in Afghanistan from November 2013 to July 2014, the military said.
After the attack on Thursday, he tried to take refuge in a parking garage and exchanged gunfire with police, Police Chief David Brown said.
The suspect described his motive during negotiations and said he acted alone and was not affiliated with any groups, Brown said.
Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings said on Friday authorities believe the suspect was the lone attacker and that the city is safe.
Rawlings said at a news conference that he believes the city can start healing now.
US President Obama has expressed his condolences to the people of Dallas.
Watch @POTUS‘s statement on last night’s attack on law enforcement in Dallas, Texas. https://t.co/lqd4OaofxM
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) July 8, 2016
In a brief statement on Friday, Obama said the investigation into the shooting continues but “what we do know is there has been a vicious, calculated and despicable attack on law enforcement”.
Johnson served in Afghanistan. Photo: Facebook.
“There’s no possible justification for these kinds of attacks or any violence against law enforcement,” Obama said, noting that he had spoken with Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings and offered his support and condolences.
Obama spoke from Warsaw, Poland, where he is meeting with NATO and European Union leaders.
Immediately after landing in Warsaw, and before the shootings, Obama had expressed solidarity with protesters earlier. In those comments, he aired his frustration with what he said were racial disparities in the justice system.
He also argued there was no contradiction between supporting law enforcement and working to see that biases in the criminal justice system are rooted out.