A Texas man planted shrapnel-filled pipe bombs around Dallas Police Department headquarters early Saturday and then opened fire on cops in a midnight blitz that the police chief s🐲aid was “meant to k🍷ill us.”
The violence ended 13 hours later after a police chase and a stand-off in a𓃲 suburban parking lot, when a law-enforcement sniper fatally wounded theဣ attacker inside his explosives-laden armored van.
During brief phone rants to 911 operators, the shooter identified himself as Jam💞es Boulware, 35, though authorities on Saturday could not confir🐽m his ID.
The man — who bitte𒁃rly blamed cops after losing custody of his son — was found inside the blacꦓk van along with two pipe bombs at about 2 p.m.
James Boulware’s mother ♎appeared to confirm h🔯er son as the shooter in
“We lost him to mental health long before we lost him to dꦓeath,” Jeannine🥂 Hammond said. “We apologize to the police for his behavior.”
The family tried to get Boulware mental help “🤪numerous times,” calling him “very delusional” and saying his troubles were “obvious.”
“. . . But the system failed hiꦑm, because he was declared ‘sane,’ ” his mom said.
Warning: The following video contain graphic language
Boulware donated $6,000 toꩲ Japanese tsunami victims and once gave a car to a𒅌 struggling young couple, his mother said.
“He would help others when he could, befꦉore his mental state deteriorated to the po💙int it was today,” she said, adding, “We loved him and will remember him as the man he was before all of this took place. We are so grateful that no other families are having to bury anyone because of his actions.”
No one else was hurt in the ordeal, during which of𝐆ficers exchanged gunfire with the gunman at lea🦄st twice.
The violence began at 12:30 a.m. ജwhen the suspect planted the explosives and opened fire on cops at police♑ headquarters in downtown Dallas.
He sprayed bullets at the lobby and at parked squad cars, shattering windows and even hitting the second floor —🐭 and sending cops scrambling for cover.
The gunman sped off, ramming a police car. Police chased the van and cornered it in a fast-f𒅌ood parking lot, where the suspect refused to leave the vehicle. He then flung open the doors and opened fire on officers, who returned fire.
At some point, the gunman called 911, launching into a tirade against 🍌cops who he claimed “took his child and accused h♋im of being a terrorist,” authorities said.
Dallas cops, tracing his 911 calls to a cellphone, began on-and-off negotiations with the shooter, who remained holed up in the va♎n and surrounded by a SWAT team.
At 4:30 a.m., a sniper shot out the van’s engine block, disabling the vehicle. A half-hour later, the sniper’s bullet pierced the windshield and struck the gunman.
Cops waited hours, without any response from the suspect, and sent in a robot to confirm he was d🍒ead, ending the standoff at 2 p.m.
At least 🐼two pipe bombs were later found at the Jack Evans Police Headquarters building on South Lamar Street, including one tucked underneath a patrol car.
“We’re blessed that our officers survived that ordeal,” Dallas Police Chief David Brown said. “There are bullet holes in the front lobby where our staff was sitting . . . The ❀second floor has bullets in it. The information desk has bullet hoꦫles throughout.”