After a rally Thursday in Dallas to protest the recent police killings of Alton Sterling in Louisiana and Philando Castile in Minnesota, Micah X. Johnson, 25, reportedly opened fire, killing five police officers and wounding six others. After a standoff between Johnson and police, officers sent in and detonated a robotic bomb, killing Johnson.
Below is everything we know about Micah X. Johnson.
Johnson Was in the Military
Shortly after the shootings, police noted that the suspect's movements appeared to be tactical and precise. Turns out, they may have been right. Johnson was a veteran of the Army, having served in the Reserve March 2009-April 2015. He served one tour in Afghanistan and was a private first-class whose military specialty was carpentry and masonry, The Telegraph reports.
Johnson Is Now Believed to Have Acted Alone
Initially, police believed that Johnson was one of several gunmen involved in the attack. However, the New York Times is reporting that Johnson acted alone.
Three Other People Have Been Arrested in Connection With the Attack
According to reports, three people have been arrested, but it is unclear as to what role, if any, they played in the attack, or why police are detaining them.
Johnson’s Motive Was a Desire to Kill Whites and White Police Officers, Police Say
According to police, during the negotiations, Johnson stated that he “was upset at white people. The suspect stated he wanted to kill white people, especially white officers.”
Johnson Was a Member of the New Black Panther Party
Johnson reportedly belonged to the New Black Panther Party Houston chapter and subscribed to a Facebook group called "The Black Matrix." TMZ notes that the group aims to "dismantle the system it believes 'white societal elites' have put in place to 'control the perceptions of its Black populations.'" Johnson also belonged to "Filming Cops" and "Police the Police," Facebook communities.
Johnson Lived With His Mother
The 25-year-old lived with his mother in the Dallas area. A black SUV belonging to Johnson's mother, Delphene Johnson, was found on the scene near the attack. Neighbors told The Telegraph that Johnson seemed like a "calm, normal guy" who "owned a lot of guns."
"He was military—I'm not sure if he was still in—so he owned a lot of guns," a female neighbor told The Telegraph. "But he seemed a calm, normal guy. There was never any problem.
"He was protective,” she continued. “He'd ask me if I was OK when I was on my own. When we were out, we'd watch each other's houses. He always said, ‘Hi.’ I never saw [him] outside with a gun. He did a lot of walking, exercise, around the neighborhood."