Federal officials warned local law enforcement last week that the Muhammad cartoon contest held near Dallas on Sunday could provoke violence, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Officials from the FBI and Department of Homeland Security on April 30 sent law enforcement agencies a bulletin about the event, noting that it could “prompt violent extremist reaction.” However, officials were more worried about violence abroad following the event and said an attack was “less likely at home.”
Supporters of the Islamic State and terrorist group al-Shabaab posted links about the event on Twitter, according to the bulletin obtained by the Wall Street Journal. The supporters allegedly pushed for retaliation after the cartoon contest.
Two gunmen were killed on Sunday after they opened fire on law enforcement officers outside of a Muhammad cartoon contest held by anti-Islam group American Freedom Defense Initiative. A Garland, Texas, police officer quickly shot and killed both gunmen after they began firing on two officers.
Local law enforcement and AFDI arranged for extensive security due to the nature of the event. In addition to law enforcement officials, the FBI, the ATF, a bomb squad and a SWAT team patrolled the event. AFDI also spent about $10,000 on additional security for the cartoon contest.
In a press conference on Monday, Garland police spokesman Joe Harn said that the plan put in place worked effectively.
“We were able to stop those men before they were able to penetrate” the perimeter of the event, he said.
News reports identified the suspects as Elton Simpson and Nadir Soofi. Simpson had previously been investigated by the FBI for potential links to jihadist terrorism. At the time, he was only convicted for lying to a federal officer.
Perhaps if Gov. Abbott spent more time reading briefing papers such as this instead of worrying about a military takeover of Texas…
I think the Federal government should be required to notify the public of the current whereabouts and movements of Pam Geller. I don’t want to be within a 1/2 mile or so of wherever she’s located.
Given the amount of preparation, (see photo above), I’m going to wager that the authorities on the ground were hoping for an attack of some sort. They have all this neat gear, and this was a chance to use it. That one damned cop that kept his cool, and used his training stepped all over their party.
With so many Texans carrying so many loaded assault weapons into so many public venues, I’m interested to see how the vaunted Texas Militia that’s defending Texas from a US takeover will be able to tell which ones are members of the Dallas chapter of al-Shabbab Right to Carry before they manage to massacre a WalMart-full of tea partiers.
Don’t Tread On MeDon’t Read To MeKinda like Megan’s Law for lunatics. I’m calling my Congressman.
Let’s be clear, instigating a violent response was the raison d’être of the entire thing.