Five police officers were killed and seven others were wounded during protests against police in Dallas Thursday night.
Black Lives Matter protests were underway when at least one unknown shooter started opening fire on police officers.
THIS ISNT A NORMAL GUN. AT ALL. WTF JUST HAPPENED????? #DALLAS pic.twitter.com/9gvxM8DFid
— Jon Targaryen (@Crym89s) July 8, 2016
According to Dallas Police Chief David Brown, one suspect was killed by a bomb that was detonated by authorities. Brown stated, “We saw no other option but to use our bomb robot and place a device on its extension for it to detonate where the suspect was.”
The suspect has now been identified as Micah X. Johnson, 25. Before he died he reportedly said that he wanted to kill white police officers.
Two sweeps of the city were conducted, but did not result in explosive devices. Police are searching for any other possible suspects.
Initially a man named Mark Hughes was identified as a possible suspect by Dallas Police. Hughes is a black man that was participating peacefully in the protests while open-carrying a rifle. He turned himself over to the police voluntarily and was released after they realized he had no part in the shootings.
The protests themselves were generally peaceful, with people gathered to march in solidarity with the recent victims of police violence, Alton Sterling and Philando Castile. The shooters were unaffiliated with the protests fired from a downtown parking garage. Protestors also stated that officers at the protest attempted to protect the protestors once shots were fired.
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