Texas Tech Student Radio Station
By Bill Zeeble, KERA NEWS
Three weeks before Micah Xavier Johnson opened fire on Dallas police Thursday night, he offered to work security for protesters outside a Donald Trump appearance in Dallas. KERA’s Bill Zeeble reports that organizers said “no way” – because Johnson wanted to bring a gun.
By Francesca Paris, KERA NEWS
DALLAS – The Thursday night shooting that left five police officers dead in Dallas, and the recent killings of black men by police in other cities across the country, have many on edge. On Friday, KERA talked with African-Americans in downtown Dallas about how they’re feeling in the aftermath:
(Dallas, TX) — El Centro College in Dallas says two of its police officers were wounded in last week’s sniper attack. A statement posted on the school’s website last night says one officer was hit by a bullet while guarding the entrance to the college. He was treated at the scene and actually returned to duty to help protect others. Another officer was hit by flying glass from a window at the college shattered by a bullet during the attack. The news brings the total number of officers injured during the incident to nine.
(Dallas, TX) — President Obama will speak at tomorrow’s memorial service in Dallas for the five police officers killed by sniper fire last week. A White House spokesman says the interfaith service at the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center will also be attended by former President George W. Bush, former First Lady Barbara Bush and Vice President Joe Biden. President Bush, a Dallas resident, will also be one of the featured speakers.
(Dallas, TX) — It’s looking like there was only one shooter in last night’s deadly ambush of Dallas police officers. The suspect has been identified as former Army reservist Micah Xavier Johnson. A senior law enforcement official tells “The New York Times” that it appears the 25-year-old Johnson was the only gunman. Dallas police originally said that at least two snipers used triangulated fire in the ambush that killed five police officers. Johnson died after a standoff with police. He was killed by a bomb that was detonated by a police robot.
(Dallas, TX) — Religious leaders in Dallas are working to heal their city as it tries to recover from a shooting last night that killed five police officers. At an interfaith prayer vigil in downtown Dallas, Police Chief David Brown said his department has been hit hard. He said his officers are hurting, and they need the support of a community that appreciates their sacrifice. One pastor at the event said the Dallas community is ready to do the hard work necessary to bring about true reconciliation and the glory of God in the city. Another religious leader said it’s a shame that people only seem to come together when there’s a tragedy. He emphasized that injustice isn’t an appropriate response to injustice, and hatred isn’t an appropriate response to hatred. Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings said there has to be a way to point out the need for reform in the criminal justice system while at the same time supporting the vast majority of police officers who do their job honestly and honorably.
(DALLAS) — The dead gunman from last night’s ambush of Dallas police officers is being identified as a former Army reservist. According to several reports, 25-year-old Micah Xavier Johnson was killed in a parking garage by an explosive detonated by a police robot. Johnson is said to have lived in nearby Mesquite, Texas. Law enforcement officials say Johnson had no known ties to terror groups or criminal history. The Dallas police chief said earlier that the gunman claimed to have acted alone and wasn’t part of any group. There are three other suspects in custody, but they are not cooperating with investigators.
(Washington, DC) — Members of the Congressional Black Caucus are putting more pressure on congressional leaders to deal with gun violence. In a Capitol briefing, Texas Democrat Shelia Jackson Lee said hearts are broken about the shooting deaths of five police officers in Dallas. They were killed in a sniper ambush. North Carolina Democrat G.K. Butterfield said caucus members are angry and frustrated by congressional inaction on guns. He also expressed dismay about the shooting deaths of two young black men by police in Louisiana and Minnesota. Michigan Democrat John Conyers called for expanded background checks and a ban on military-style assault weapons.
(Dallas, TX) — There are reports that the gunman killed by Dallas police is 25-year-old Micah Johnson. The “Los Angeles Times” is citing a law enforcement official as saying that Johnson has no known ties to terror groups or criminal history. Dallas Police Chief David Brown remarked earlier today that a gunman killed by police had said that he acted alone and wasn’t a part of any group.
(Undated) — The presidential candidates are reacting to last night’s ambush of Dallas police officers. Hillary Clinton tweeted that she mourns for the officers shot while doing their sacred duty to protect peaceful protesters. Clinton said she also mourns for the officers’ families and all who serve them. Donald Trump says last night’s ambush was an attack on our country and that it was a coordinated, premeditated assault on the men and women who keep us safe. He called the deadly police shootings of two black men in Louisiana and Minnesota senseless and tragic. Trump also said it reminds us how much more needs to be done.
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