Obsessed with weed: Anti-ICE shooter hated US govt, targeted federal agents; ex-boss, officials reveal details

The gunman who killed one migrant and wounded two others at a Dallas ICE facility on Wednesday was a marijuana-obsessed drifter who harbored deep resentment toward the US government, officials and acquaintances said.

Joshua Jahn , 29, fired from a rooftop at a van carrying detainees escorted by ICE agents before turning the gun on himself, authorities said. Handwritten notes recovered from his suburban home described his plan to instill terror, with one stating, “Hopefully this will give ICE agents real terror, to think, is there a sniper with AP rounds on that roof?” FBI officials said he specifically intended to target ICE personnel.

Jahn had a history of marijuana use and briefly worked at a legal cannabis farm in Benton City, Washington, in 2017. His former employer, Ryan Sanderson, described him as “all about the weed” and a worker who “didn’t work that hard, probably because he was too high.” Jahn reportedly drove cross-country to harvest marijuana for several months and previously faced a marijuana possession charge in 2015.

Authorities said Jahn had planned the attack carefully. FBI Director Kash Patel said he conducted internet searches on ballistics, ICE facilities, and the recent assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. Notes indicated he expected not to survive the assault and wanted to incite fear.

Jahn arrived before dawn with a ladder, which he likely used to reach a rooftop. Shots were fired into vehicles and windows, including a van holding detainees. “Under gunfire, multiple federal agents ran into that fire to remove these individuals and to attempt to render lifesaving aid under the most dire circumstances,” said Joseph Rothrock, FBI Dallas field office head.

Jahn’s family described him as politically disengaged. His brother Noah told NBC News, “He wasn’t interested in politics on either side as far as I knew.” Nonetheless, Jahn left anti-ICE messages at the scene, including writing “Anti-ICE” on a bullet. He was a registered independent who last voted in 2024.

Authorities are investigating the attack as a targeted assault on federal agents. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem ordered increased security at ICE facilities nationwide. Jahn appears to have acted alone, and no organization has been linked to the shooting.

Sanderson reflected on Jahn’s past: “God, what happened to him? He didn’t seem like somebody who would do something like that but you never know who people are.”