Etched in Brass: ‘Anti-ICE’ Bullets Fuel Chaos After Dallas ICE Shooting

Image from Kash Patel on X. Bullet Casings found on the ground following ICE attack.

DALLAS, TX—Before dawn broke over the Dallas ICE field office, a sniper’s rifle cracked from a nearby rooftop, turning a routine morning into a nightmare for immigrant families. Around 6:30 a.m., 29-year-old Joshua Jahn opened fire on the facility, killing two ICE detainees and critically wounding another before taking his own life. Among the unspent shell casings left behind, one bore a chilling message: “ANTI ICE,” etched in block letters, a detail that’s ignited a firestorm of blame across the nation.

The victims, all immigrants checking in for scheduled ICE appointments, were caught in the crossfire of what the FBI calls “targeted violence.” Witnesses described sheer panic as bullets rained down. Maria Alvarez, a mother waiting outside with her 9-year-old son, dove into her car for cover. “We fled violence in Honduras, and now this,” she told WFAA, her voice trembling. “I thought we’d lose everything again.” Others huddled inside the facility as Dallas PD and federal agents swarmed the scene, locking down the area within minutes.

The shooter, identified as Jahn by Dallas police, fired from the roof of a nearby immigration lawyer’s office using a semi-automatic rifle. He died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound shortly after, leaving behind those engraved casings—now a focal point of the investigation. FBI Director Kash Patel shared a photo on X of the brass rounds, one clearly marked “ANTI ICE,” calling the act “despicable, politically motivated.” No manifesto has surfaced, but early reports from conservative outlets cite Jahn’s deleted Facebook profile, which allegedly featured communist imagery and anti-ICE posts. The ATF is tracing the rifle, and Dallas FBI Special Agent Joe Rothrock confirmed the casings’ inscriptions point to an “ideological motive,” though details remain under wraps.

This isn’t Dallas’ first brush with ICE-targeted violence. Just months ago, a July 4 ambush in nearby Alvarado saw six women charged in a plot to shoot officers, and an August bomb threat rattled this same facility. The incidents, up 1,000% nationwide per DHS, come amid heated national debates over immigration enforcement. President Trump’s push for 10,000 new ICE agents has only turned up the heat.

Social Media erupted within hours, with conservatives like Sen. Ted Cruz and DHS Secretary Kristi Noem pinning the attack on “extreme left-wing rhetoric” from figures like Gov. Tim Walz, who once called ICE the “Gestapo.” Left-leaning voices fired back, questioning why an “anti-ICE” shooter would target detainees, not agents, and accusing the FBI of rushing to politicize. Some X users even floated baseless claims of a right-wing false flag, quickly debunked as no evidence ties Jahn to MAGA groups.

Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson urged calm at a noon press conference, flanked by Cruz and local police. “This city won’t be divided,” he said. But with “Anti-ICE” etched in brass and America’s immigration war raging, division feels closer than ever.