From KERA News:
Five officers were killed and six others injured Thursday night in downtown Dallas after a protest over two recent fatal police shootings. On of the suspects was reported dead early this morning.
Gunfire broke out around 8:45 p.m. Thursday. Protesters were marching along a street in downtown when the shots erupted and the crowd scattered, seeking cover. Scores of police and security officers were on hand.
At a 12:30 a.m. news conference, Dallas Police Chief David Brown said one suspect was cornered in a garage. The suspect has told police negotiators “that the end is coming,” Brown told reporters.
“[He told us] he’s going to hurt and kill more of us, meaning law enforcement, and that there are bombs all over the place across downtown so we are careful in our tactics so we don’t injure or put officers in harm’s way, including citizens of Dallas,” Brown said. Three hours later, The Dallas Morning News reported that suspect was dead.
Brown says the snipers fired upon officers “ambush style” from “elevated positions” at the end of the march.
“We believe that these suspects were positioning themselves in a way to triangulate on these officers from two different [areas] in garages in the downtown area and planned to injure and kill as many law enforcement officers as they could,” Brown said.
Late Thursday night, a suspect was in custody and a person of interest had surrendered. Dallas police were questioning two occupants of a vehicle after an officer saw a person throw a bag into the back of the vehicle and speed off.
Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings told reporters that Thursday night was “a heartbreaking moment for the city of Dallas.”
“At 8:58, our worst nightmare happened,” Rawlings said. “Our … officers were fired upon by shooters.”
He continued: “I ask everybody focus on one thing right now and that is Dallas police officers, their families, those who are deceased, those who are in the hospital fighting for their lives. Let’s all come together in support of our police officers.”
Brown said people involved in the shootings will be “brought to justice.”
