Gunmen Who Attacked Tex. Event Likely Inspired by Islamic State, Officials Say
The Washington Post’s Sari Horwitz and Adam Goldman report, “The heavily armed gunmen who attacked a cartoon contest near Dallas over the weekend were probably inspired by the Islamic State, according to U.S. officials, who cautioned that they have so far seen no indication that the assailants were directed by the group.” Elton Simpson and Nadir Soofi were not thought to be serious threats prior to the shooting, although Simpson had been previously charged with attempting to wage violent jihad in Somalia and was in contact with Islamist militants. “We considered him a keyboard jihadi,” said one law enforcement official—“a kid who would rant, not someone who would do something dumb and dangerous.”