LATEST UPDATES HERE: ‘Ambush’ kills 5 officers, injures 6 others at protest
Five Dallas police officers have been killed and six others suffered gunshot wounds after a targeted attack in the city’s core Thursday night.
Mayhem broke out as a peaceful rally turned violent as snipers took aim at police. Eleven officers were shot in total, and five of them killed in the incident.
In a press conference early Friday morning, Police Chief David O. Brown said they are currently aware of four suspects, three of which are in custody.
The other suspect was holed up at a parking garage in El Centro college; police are currently negotiating with the suspect in an active standoff.
Brown said the suspect told negotiators that “the end is coming and there are bombs all over.”
Two people were brought into custody after a black Mercedes was spotted speeding away from the scene with a suspicious bag; police are currently questioning the driver and the passenger, but say they are not being cooperative.
“Another alleged suspect was in a shootout with Dallas SWAT officers. That suspect is also in custody,” officials wrote on Dallas Police Department’s Twitter.
“A suspicious package was discovered near this suspect’s location. The package is being secured by DPD bomb squad.”
READ MORE: Chaotic scene on Dallas streets during sniping of police officers
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Several Texas police fatally shot by two snipers at protest -
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Amateur video appears to show Dallas gunman firing at police -
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‘I was just happy that she was okay’: Daughter of DART Officer who was shot by snipers -
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Shootout between Dallas police and suspects caught on camera -
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Dallas’ Police Chief says they’re speculating shooting was planned with prior knowledge of protest route -
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Cellphone video shows alleged Dallas shooting suspect -
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‘The sniper started shooting and all the cops were getting shot’: Dallas shooting witness -
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Dallas Police say they’re looking for a person of interest after multiple police officers shot -
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Chaotic scene as multiple shots fired at Dallas protest rally -
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Raw Video: multiple gunshots heard as police respond to shooting at Dallas protest: report -
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Raw Video: Dallas Police respond after report of shots fired at Dallas protest rally -
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Raw Video: Police response after shots fired at Dallas protest rally: report
Brown said they aren’t confident that they have everyone involved in the incident, and asked anyone with information to submit tips here.
Police say a man whose photo was circulated on Twitter as a person of interest has turned himself in; other persons of interest are being questioned.
The official Twitter account of the Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) confirmed one fatality was a transit officer saying, “Four DART police officers were shot in downtown Dallas. 1 deceased, others not life-threatening.”
The deceased DART officers has been identified as 43-year-old Brent Thompson who joined the force in 2009.
An officer at the scene told WFAA news that the shooter had a rifle.
Dan Patrick, the Lieutenant Governor of Texas, tweeted out saying his thoughts were with the wounded officers.
Video footage shows dozens of police cars on the streets of downtown Dallas immediately after the shots were fired.
The gunfire broke out around 8:45 p.m. Thursday. Live TV video showed protesters marching along a street in downtown, about half a mile from City Hall, when the shots erupted and the crowd scattered, seeking cover. There was no immediate word on whether whether any civilians had been injured.
TV cameras showed the search for the gunman stretched throughout downtown, an area of hotels, restaurants, businesses and some residential apartments. The scene was chaotic, with helicopters hovering overhead and officers with automatic rifles on the street corners.
Mayor Mike Rawlings warned people who work downtown to consider staying home from work Friday morning, as many streets will still be closed to assist with the investigation.
Residents are asked to check DallasCityNews.net for updated info on street closures.
READ MORE: How many black people have been killed by police in the U.S.? Depends who’s counting
On Wednesday, a Minnesota officer fatally shot Philando Castile while he was in a car with a woman and a child in a St. Paul suburb. The aftermath of the shooting was purportedly livestreamed in a widely shared Facebook video.
A day earlier, Alton Sterling was shot in Louisiana after being pinned to the pavement by two white officers. That, too, was captured on a cellphone video.
Other protests across the U.S. on Thursday were peaceful. In midtown Manhattan, protesters first gathered in Union Square Park where they chanted “The people united, never be divided!” and “What do we want? Justice. When do we want it? Now!” In Minnesota, where Castile was shot, hundreds of protesters marched in the rain from a vigil to the governor’s official residence. Protesters also marched in Atlanta, Chicago and Philadelphia.
*With files from the Associated Press
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