Dallas, TX – Joshua Jahn, the gunman who opened fire on an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility in Dallas earlier this year, had expressed fears of radiation exposure and recently practiced shooting with a rifle purchased online, according too police records and analysis of his online activity. The February 19th shooting prompted a large law enforcement response but resulted in no injuries to ICE personnel.
The newly revealed details paint a picture of a man increasingly isolated and consumed by anxieties, while simultaneously preparing for a potential act of violence. Jahn, financially supported by his parents while spending much of his time playing computer games, legally obtained the bolt-action rifle used in the attack, tho it remains unclear if it was the same weapon used during target practice with his father in Durant, Oklahoma, roughly a month prior.
Records show jahn and his father practiced shooting at their property where they are building a new home. The father was surprised when his son produced an “old rifle” he’d “recently” purchased online. Jahn’s mother told the FBI she was unaware her son owned a gun.
Analysts with the Institute for Strategic Dialog, working with the center for Internet Security, identified Jahn’s online username as “Frank Hoenniker” – a misspelled reference to a character in Kurt Vonnegut’s novel Cat’s Cradle, known for its themes of nuclear proliferation and societal collapse. Jahn logged over 11,000 hours playing first-person shooter and survival games on the Steam platform.
The FBI previously confirmed Jahn legally obtained the rifle used in the shooting. The investigation remains ongoing as authorities continue to explore the motivations behind the attack and any potential connections to extremist ideologies.
