McALLEN, Texas (AP) — A man with an assault rifle fired dozens of rounds at federal agents and a U.S. Border Patrol facility in Texas on Monday, injuring a police officer, before authorities shot and killed him.
Authorities identified the shooter as Ryan Louis Mosqueda, believed to be 27, who they said shot at agents exiting the building, which is near the U.S.-Mexico border. McAllen Police Chief Victor Rodriguez said Mosqueda had a “utility vest” in addition to the rifle when federal agents returned fire.
Hours before the attack in McAllen, Mosqueda’s father was stopped by Weslaco police around 2:30 a.m. for a traffic violation, according to police spokesperson Heriberto Caraveo. The father told police that he was looking for his son, who he said had psychological issues and was carrying weapons in his car, Caraveo told The Associated Press.
Police say the white two-door sedan that Mosqueda drove to the facility had letters painted — possibly in Latin — on the driver’s side door.
“What it means, or whether or not it is an underlying reason for him being here, I do not know,” Rodriguez said when asked about the graffiti.
After Mosqueda was killed, law enforcement found other weaponry, ammunition and backpacks inside the vehicle.
“There are many, many more rounds of ammunition in his backpack,” Rodriguez said.
Rodriguez said his department received a call about the shooting around 5:50 a.m. One officer who responded to the shooting, a 10-year veteran, was injured after being struck in the knee. Rodriguez said it was unclear if the injury was from shrapnel or a bullet.
Police say Mosqueda was linked to a Michigan address, but was reported missing from a Weslaco, Texas, address around 4 a.m. Monday. Weslaco is about 20 miles (32 kilometers) from the Border Patrol facility.
“An hour and a few minutes later, he was at this particular location opening fire on the federal building and our federal agents,” Rodriguez said.
The exact details of the missing person report were not immediately shared with the media.
Rodriguez said there is no ongoing threat to the public, but it is unknown if any other people were involved in the attack. He said the motive and events leading up to the attack are part of the ongoing investigation, which the FBI is taking the lead on.
The attack comes as President Donald Trump ‘s administration ramps up deportations, which will be turbocharged by a massive spending bill that became law last week. Stephen Miller, the president’s deputy chief of staff and chief architect of his immigration policies, recently set a target of at least 3,000 immigration arrests a day, up from about 650 a day during the first five months of the administration.
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Cline reported from Baton Rouge.
