Austin [Texas], July 8: A man with a rifle and tactical gear was shot dead by police after he opened fire at a Border Patrol facility in Texas on Monday morning, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has said.
Two officers and a border patrol employee were injured in the attack, including one who was shot in the knee. All three were sent to hospital for treatment, officials said.
The shooting occurred at the entrance of a US Border Patrol sector annex in McAllen, Texas, near the US-Mexico border.
McAllen police have identified the suspect as 27-year-old Ryan Lewis Mosqueda. He has no known criminal record, they said, and has an address in Michigan.
The shooting occurred around 06:00 local time, McAllen Police Chief Victor Rodriguez said.
He told reporters that the incident is still being investigated, and that a motive has not yet been determined.
The suspect fired "many dozens of rounds" towards the border patrol building and towards agents inside the building, Rodriguez said. Agents then fired back and killed the suspect.
Rodriguez said the alleged shooter arrived in Texas with a Michigan tagged vehicle, and was reported missing a few hours before the shooting from an address in Weslaco, Texas - a town around 18 miles (28 kilometres) east of McAllen.
His car had spray paint on it with lettering that officers have not been able to decipher, Rodriguez said. Police also found additional weaponry and ammunition inside the vehicle, he said.
One of the officers injured in the exchange is a 10-year veteran with the McAllen Police Department. He was shot in the knee and is recovering in hospital.
No federal officers were shot or wounded, police said.
The building where the shooting occurred is located near the McAllen airport, prompting traffic to be temporarily closed.
The FBI has now taken over the investigation, Rodriguez said, adding that police have no reason to believe there are more threats to the community.
Source: Fijian Broadcasting Corporation
