DALLAS (NBC News / AP) – A senior law enforcement official has identified the gunman killed an ambush style shooting targeting Dallas police officers Thursday as 25-year-old Micah Xavier Johnson.
The Army says Micah Xavier Johnson, named as a suspect in the Dallas police shootings, served in the Army Reserve and did one tour of duty in Afghanistan.
- The Army says Johnson was a private first class
- His hometown is Mesquite, Texas
- Johnson’s military occupational specialty was carpentry and masonry
- His service dates, as provided by the Army, are March 2009 to April 2015
- The Army says Johnson deployed to Afghanistan in November 2013 and returned in July 2014
Micah X. Johnson, of Mesquite Texas, is one of four people police said were responsible for ambushing police officers at a peaceful protest against nation-wide officer-involved shootings in Dallas Thursday.
Police said officers cornered Johnson and negotiated with him for hours before talks broke down. Dallas Police Chief David Brown said Johnson told officers he was upset about recent shootings involving police and “wanted to kill white people. Especially white officers.”
After an exchange of gunfire, Brown said officers attached an explosive device to a bomb robot and detonated it near Johnson, killing him.
