Investigators have not yet found a direct link between the Islamic State and the gunmen who opened fire on officers outside a Muhammad cartoon contest in Garland, Texas, on Sunday, according to a Los Angeles Times report.
Law enforcement officials told the LA Times that although it appears that the suspects, Elton Simpson and Nadir Soofi, were influenced by foreign terrorist groups, investigators do “not at this point” believe that the Islamic State or another group directed the gunmen to carry out the attack.
Simpson communicated with Somalian and Syrian jihadi fighters over social media, but law enforcement officials have not found any link between those interactions and the attack in Garland. Simpson reportedly communicated with an individual who goes by the name Mujahid Miski through Twitter.
Earlier this week, the Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack on the Muhammad cartoon contest.
On Tuesday, White House spokesman Josh Earnest called the shooting an “act of terror,” but said it was “too early to say” whether ISIL was involved in the attack.
