FBI Investigates Dallas Shooting Over Prophet Mohammed Drawing Contest
The FBI is reportedly investigating a recent shooting at a competition in Dallas, Texas where illustrators were competing to draw the best cartoon of the Prophet Mohammed.
Two gunmen reportedly opened fire on a security guard standing in front of the controversial event, sponsored by the American Freedom Defense Initiative and held at the Curtis Culwell Center in the City of Garland, a suburb of Dallas.
Police returned fire, killing both of the gunmen. According to The Dallas Morning News, one of the gunmen has been identified as Elton Simpson, who lived in Arizona and had previously been investigated by the FBI for claiming he wanted to travel to the Middle East and join a terrorist group.
The local media outlet reports that Simpson's roommate was the second gunman in Sunday evening's incident, although he has not been publically identified.
Police announced late Sunday that they would also investigate the vehicle used by Simpson and the second gunman to travel to the controversial event, suggesting that it may contain a car bomb.
"Because of the situation of what was going on today and the history of what we've been told has happened at other events like this, we are considering their car (is) possibly containing a bomb," Officer Joe Harn, a spokesman for the Garland Police Department, told the Associated Press on Sunday.
Simpson's apartment in Phoenix was also searched by police using a robot.
The security guard shot during the gunfire, Bruce Joiner, has reportedly been treated at a local hospital and released.