Federal Officials Speculate that Plano, Texas Police Department Shooter Was Inspired by Terrorists
Jose Nino
|
A man accused of fatally shooting a Garland Lyft driver and firing at people inside Plano police headquarters may have been inspired by terrorists, federal officials speculated.
This revelation was announced during a press conference on August 30, 2021 featuring officials from the FBI, Garland PD, and Plano PD. The suspect in question, Imran Ali Rasheed, was killed in an exchange with Plano police officers on August 29.
Rasheed is suspected of killing Lyft driver Isabella Ann Lewis before he went to Plano police headquarters on August 30. So far in the investigation, it was determined that Rasheed randomly targeted Lewis.
According to law enforcement reports, Lewis picked up Rasheed for a Lyft ride. Right before noon on August 29, law enforcement claimed that Rasheed shot Lewis in her car in the northeast Dallas suburb of Garland.
Rasheed then proceeded to steal Lewis’ car and drove it to the Plano Police Department where he was found behaving in an erratic manner. He then drew out his semi-automatic pistol and shot at a civilian worker and another individual inside the department.
Two Plano police officers immediately responded to the gunshots and fired back at Rasheed, mortally wounding him.
Upon investigating the evidence found in the stolen vehicle, police discovered a note that allegedly belonged to Rasheed highlighting how he was perhaps inspired by a terrorist organization.
“There’s no indication that he was working with others or that he was in contact with others who may be planning similar activity,” commented Matthew DeSarno FBI Dallas Special Agent-in-Charge. “We’re early in the investigation, and that’s a priority investigation for us to determine.”
The FBI revealed that Rasheed was being investigated from 2010 to 2013, but the investigation reached the conclusion that Rasheed was not a threat.
Investigators did not disclose any specific details from the note or the name of the terrorist organization he was inspired by.
After it determined that Rasheed did not present a threat, the FBI said the investigation was closed. The FBI did not reveal any specifics of Rasheed’s previous investigation.
For the time being, investigators’ main priority is to find out what contacts and relationships the murder suspect had.
“At this point we do not believe that the suspect, Imran Ali Rasheed, was provided assistance by others,” DeSarno stated.
Prior to his death, Rasheed lived in Garland. However, law enforcement in Plano and Garland reported that they did not previously contact him, save for a traffic accident that took place about a decade ago.
The threat of transnational terrorist groups is still real. The US must start getting serious about securing its border and also about restricting legal migration. Mass migration is one way that terrorist cells build networks in countries foolish enough to open up the immigration floodgates.
By allowing substantial numbers of foreign nationals from terror hotspots to enter a country, terrorist organizations potentially have a sizable pool of recruits to tap into. Rasheed was likely a potential prospect for the undisclosed terrorist organization. The easiest way to break the backs of these networks is by restricting immigration, thereby limiting the recruitment pools for said organizations.
Hopefully, American policymakers can finally get the memo.
Share: