*As we reported earlier, the man Dallas police have identified as the sniper who shot 12 police officers and killed 5 is Micah Xavier Johnson. He is a former Army reservist with no criminal record or ties to terror groups.
Johnson, 25, told a police negotiator he was targeting white officers because he was angry over the recent spate of cop-involved killings.
The Thursday night rampage ended when Johnson, of Mesquite, Texas, was killed by a bomb strapped to a police robot.
He told police he was “not affiliated with any groups,” and he said he “did this alone,” the chief said.
Sources told the Los Angeles Times that Johnson has no ties to terror groups and no known criminal history. He has lived in the Dallas area and has family members living in Mesquite, Texas, east of Dallas, the newspaper reports, citing federal law enforcement sources.
A black SUV was found at the scene registered to Delphene Johnson, who is Micah Johnson’s mother, according to Facebook posts and public records, NBC Dallas-Fort Worth reports. Live helicopter video from the news station showed police at her home in Mesquite.
Johnson served in the U.S. Army Reserve, investigators said.
Here’s more info about Johnson via the NY Daily News:
The suspect is seen on his Facebook page making the black power salute.
He shows support for several groups celebrating African American culture, including “Black Love Matters” and “The Black Kings & Queens Project.”
In one photo, he’s seen greeting Professor Griff of Public Enemy.
Johnson served as an Army reservist until April 2015. He served as a carpentry and masonry specialist, defense officials told ABC News.
Pictures on the Facebook page belonging to Johnson’s mother show a man resembling the suspect wearing army fatigues and holding an assault rifle.
Dallas crime scene investigators were scouring Johnson’s single-family brick home located about 12 miles outside of Dallas Friday morning.
Neighbors told CNN he became more reclusive after returning from a tour in Afghanistan.
Before he was killed, Johnson engaged in a three-hour standoff with cops and spoke at length with a police negotiator.
“He said he was upset about the recent police shootings,” Dallas Police Chief David Brown said. “The suspect said he was upset at white people. The suspect stated he wanted to kill white people, especially white officers.”
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