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On Friday, police searched the home of police shooter Micah Johnson, gleaning details about the man who targeted them in a rampage Thursday night. Detectives found “bomb making materials, ballistic vests, rifles, ammunition, and a personal journal of combat tactics,” according to the Dallas Police Department.
Johnson, 25, had no previous criminal history, police say. As the Observer has previously reported, he’s a recently discharged Army reservist. People interviewed by police described him as a loner. Johnson’s Facebook page, DPD notes, indicates that he embraced the Public Enemy rapper’s Afrocentric politics.
Dallas Police Chief David Brown said earlier in the day that Johnson told officers that he tried to target white police officers during his shooting rampage which left five police officers dead and seven more wounded.
DPD also announced that it has interviewed 200 officers during the course of its investigation. So far, the department says, it appears that at least 12 officers shot back at Johnson during Thursday night’s firefight. The standoff ended when police used a robot to detonate an explosive device while Johnson was holed up in a parking garage near El Centro College.
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The investigation into Johnson and any potential accomplices is ongoing. Elm, Commerce and Main Streets will remain closed between Griffin Street on the east and Houston Street on the west until Wednesday. Griffin and Houston Streets themselves will remain open.
