Eleven people were arrested after an officer was shot and injured during the late hours of the Fourth of July outside a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention facility in Alvarado, according to court records unsealed Monday.
Ten individuals were charged with three counts of attempted murder and three counts of discharging a firearm during a violent act, according to court records. An 11th person was charged with obstruction of justice and conspiracy, according to federal officials.
"This was an egregious attack on federal and local law enforcement officers," said Nancy Larson, U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Texas, during a press conference Monday. "Those who use violence against law enforcement officers will be found, and they will be prosecuted with the toughest criminal statutes and penalties that we have available to us."
Court documents claim as many as 12 people dressed in all black were shooting fireworks toward the Prairieland Detention Center on Friday. At least one person allegedly began to spray graffiti, damaging vehicles and a guard structure in the parking lot, according to court records.
Correctional officers called dispatch a few minutes later, and two unarmed officers came out to the fence line to attempt to talk to the group of people. That's when the unsealed complaint alleges a person wearing a green mask in nearby woods began "signaling" to the group with a flashlight.
When Alvarado police arrived, a person in the woods opened fire, hitting one officer in the neck. That's when authorities say the person in the green mask started shooting at correctional officers. Police say 20-30 shots were fired from what they suspect were AR-15-style rifles.
The officer is expected to recover from his injury, and no one else was reported harmed.
A Johnson County Sheriff's Office detective later stopped a car less than a mile away from the facility and arrested one of the suspects, according to court documents. Police found other people walking at an intersection and arrested them, and another person was identified and arrested Monday morning.
The 10 arrested for attempted murder were identified as Cameron Arnold, Savanna Batten, Nathan Baumann, Zachary Evetts, Joy Gibson, Bradford Morris, Maricela Rueda, Seth Sikes, Elizabeth Soto and Ines Soto, according to court records. The 11th person was identified in court documents as Daniel Rolando Sanchez.
Officials declined to take questions during Monday's press conference, but Special Agent of the Dallas FBI Office Joe Rothrock called Friday's incident a "coordinated and targeted attack against law enforcement."
"This investigation is a priority for the FBI, and we've dedicated significant resources," Rothrock told media. "We are committed to identifying and holding accountable all those responsible for this attack."
Got a tip? Email Penelope Rivera at privera@kera.org.
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