A man who opened fire on a federal courthouse in downtown Dallas on Monday has been shot dead by police.
Brian Issack Clyde, 22, died shortly after exchanging gunfire with officers outside the Earle Cabell Federal Building.
Clyde had claimed on social media to be a veteran of the US Army, and a report from the Department of Defense on the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act website obtained by the Dallas Morning News shows that Clyde was on active duty with the Army from August 10, 2015, through February 17, 2017.
Clyde had lived in both Corpus Christi and Austin. It was not clear whether he lived in Dallas at the time of the shooting, though he did have relatives who live nearby.
Clyde’s grandfather Rodney Clyde said over the telephon that he had ‘nothing to say at this time’ regarding the shooting and death of his grandson.
He does not appear to have a criminal history. FBI, ATF, FPS, U.S. Marshals and the Dallas Police Department are investigating the incident.
The shooting occurred one block away from where four Dallas police officer and a Dallas Area Rapid Transit officer were killed by a gunman nearly three years ago, on July 7, 2016.
Brian Issack Clyde, 22 (pictured), has been fatally shot after exchanging gunfire with federal officers outside the Earle Cabell Federal Building in Dallas. No one else was reported injured in the encounter
Authorities were seen tending to Clyde lying on the ground in a parking lot near the building
Dallas FBI SAC Matt DeSarno said, ‘Our officers from the Federal Protective Service engaged the shooter who was later identified as Brian Isaack Clyde, he was taken to Baylor Hospital and pronounced deceased on scene.’ Clyde is pictured
Police are continuing to ask people to avoid the area surrounding 1100 Commerce Street, after a bomb squad conducted a controlled detonation of a suspicious device in the suspect’s vehicle, which had been parked nearby.
A photographer for the Dallas Morning News who was positioned outside the courthouse witnessed a gunman opening fire before police arrived.
Erin Nealy Cox, U.S. Attorney for the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas, said, ‘Law enforcement responded immediately and I want to assure the community, especially our downtown community, that the community is safe.’
Dallas FBI SAC Matt DeSarno said, ‘Our officers from the Federal Protective Service engaged the shooter who was later identified as Brian Isaack Clyde, he was taken to Baylor Hospital and pronounced deceased on scene.’
DeSarno added: ‘At this time we have no information indicating that there are other shooters, other threats to the community, we are working on one vehicle and we will have that cleared shortly.’
Agents detonated a device within the vehicle at around 10.40am Central (Eastern) and do not believe there are other explosive devices in the area.
At 1.48pm Central, the department said, ‘Because this is an active crime scene, vehicles parked inside the inner perimeters will have to remain for the next few hours until the scene has been processed. Owners can call the Command Post at 214.470.4954 for updates or follow us on social media.’
Aerial footage shows the suspected shooter keeping close to the wall at the federal building
Clyde can be seen racing from the federal building to the parking lot across the street
Video shared by witness Lane Brown shows Clyde, in a black mask carrying a gun, running through the parking lot across the street from the courthouse
Suspected gunman Clyde has been shot after exchanging gunfire with federal officers outside the Earle Cabell Federal Building in Dallas
Clyde had posted images to social media as recently as Sunday, including a knife with the caption, ‘A modern gladius to defend the modern Republic.’
He also shared an image of magazine clips on Friday, writing, ‘No cosplay for me for A Kon because i decided to finish getting all of my mags. 2 40 rounders and 8 30 rounders total. A tad bit late though since everyone is going over to 7.62 nato because level 4 plates are now widely available and affordable and will stop almost anything.’
Dallas Morning News photographer Tom Fox said he saw the shooter, wearing a black mask, parked at the corner of Jackson and Griffin streets.
Clyde had a red heart tattoo on his black arm, with a black drawing of a cat inside it.
According to Fox, the man identified as Clyde by police stopped in the street to pick something up, and then opened fire, cracking the glass in the courthouse door.
‘It was pretty close range, I was crouched behind a wall next to the back door on Jackson Street and shots were fired down at Jackson and the gunman came up the street alongside the federal building,’ Fox said.
Clyde had a red heart tattoo on his black arm, with a black drawing of a cat inside it
Clyde is pictured in selfies taken in a US Army camouflage uniform, with and without glasses
‘He stopped to pick something up and I shot a few frames of him and then crouched back behind the wall. Then he came up to the door and shot out the door on Jackson Street and he never passed me, fortunately.’
Fox added, ‘I’m just thankful to be alive. Literally I was just around the marble podium, or marble wall, from where he shot out the windows and I was just praying that he wasn’t going to pass me, pass that wall because if he saw me crouch there he probably would have shot me.’
Video shared by witness Lane Brown shows Clyde in a black mask carrying a gun running from the sidewalk near the courthouse to a parking lot across the street.
Multiple witness told NBC DFW that they heard between 15 and 20 shots fired.
‘I just ran,’ said Don Miles, who had a 9am appointment in the building.
‘I just started hearing rapid shooting. I was right at the door getting ready to walk in when everybody started running out. When I heard those shots, 10-15 shots going off, I just ran across the street.’
Herman Turner, 50, who had taken the day off to run errands, was at the courthouse to get a cashier’s check when he saw the shooter begin firing at the building’s door near Main and Griffith streets from the middle of the road.
An overview of the area where the shooting occurred is shown, in downtown Dallas
In one image, Clyde is shown dressed in period clothing, apparently taking part in a war reenactment, posted to social media on July 27, 2015, in another, he is sstanding in front of the American flag and flags of the armed forces
Brian Issack Clyde, 22, is shown is pictures posted on social media
Inside, security instructed people to get down on the ground, as police responded to the scene and took down the shooter.
The window panes in a revolving door of the courthouse shattered afterward.
Authorities were seen tending to Clyde lying on the ground in a parking lot outside the building.
Additional video showed the suspect being loaded into an ambulance at the scene.
Photos posted on Clyde’s social media account show him in a US Army uniform.
Another image shows him with longer hair, standing in front of the American flag and flags of the armed forces.
In one image posted to social media on July 27, 2015, Clyde is shown dressed in period clothing with another person, apparently taking part in a war reenactment.
Clyde had posted a drawing to Facebook on Wednesday showing a person talking to a cat, saying, ‘In this state, I am in a realm of euphoria. Not because of a false god, but because I am enlightened.’
Comments on the drawing included, ‘mental illness is a sad thing,’ ‘wow,’ and ‘clear cry for help.’
He also shared an image of magazine clips on Friday, writing, ‘No cosplay for me for A Kon because i decided to finish getting all of my mags. 2 40 rounders and 8 30 rounders total. A tad bit late though since everyone is going over to 7.62 nato because level 4 plates are now widely available and affordable and will stop almost anything’
Clyde had posted images to social media as recently as Sunday, including a knife with the caption, ‘A modern gladius to defend the modern Republic’
Clyde had posted a drawing to Facebook on Wednesday showing a person talking to a cat, saying, ‘In this state, I am in a realm of euphoria. Not because of a false god, but because I am enlightened.’ Comments on the drawing included, ‘mental illness is a sad thing,’ ‘wow,’ and ‘clear cry for help.’
In another post, Clyde shared an image of sign he presumably hung in a refrigerator with a drawing of Billy the Puppet from the horror movie, Saw, with a caption referring to ‘playing a game,’ as the protagonist does in the murderous fiction film
In another post, Clyde shared an image of sign he presumably hung in a refrigerator with a drawing of Billy the Puppet from the horror movie, Saw, with a caption referring to ‘playing a game,’ as the protagonist does in the murderous fiction film.
The sign read, ‘Hello, I want to play a game… 3 liquids in the fridge has been mixed with laxative… will you die of thirst or will you face your fears & destroy your a**hole?? Let the games begin…’
Clyde was a prospective graduate at Del Mar College in Corpus Christi, set to participate in the May 10 graduation ceremony, according to a release published online by the school.
‘Military has always been big in my family, so has education,’ Clyde said in a video he shared on Facebook where he appeared to be receiving an outstanding student award from the school.
‘When I got out, I really didn’t have any other options, so I figure go to school.’
Clyde said in the video that he was stationed at Fort Campbell in Kentucky.
With a photo of a rifle shared online in September of 2017, Clyde wrote, ‘an identity crisis.’
Other images showed him practicing at a shooting range, and showing off a 40-pound weighted vest, writing, ‘Now the real training can begin.’
With a photo of a rifle shared online in September of 2017, Clyde wrote, ‘an identity crisis’
Other images showed him practicing at a shooting range with a pile of bullets beside him
In a mirror selfie, Clyde showed off a 40-pound weighted vest, writing, ‘Now the real training can begin’
Clyde is shown in an image shared on social media, dressed as a knight while holding a gun
Clyde is pictured in a short-sleeved dress shirt printed with lobsters, holding a gun
No motive has yet been offered for why Clyde might have fired at the courthouse.
Judicial intern Thompson Du told said he was kept waiting outside by officials, following the incident which occurred at around 8.50am Central (9.50am Eastern).
Du said friends of his who were nearby at the time the shooting took place heard gunfire ring out for about 45 seconds.
Federal agents have taken over the lead of the investigation.
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives agents were spotted at the scene.
The incident occurred at around 8.50am Central (9.50am Eastern) at the Earle Cabell Federal Building (shown)
Herman Turner, 50, who had taken the day off to run errands, was at the courthouse to get a cashier’s check when he saw the shooter begin firing at the building’s door near Main and Griffith streets from the middle of the road. The window panes in a revolving door of the courthouse shattered afterward
The door that was shot at on Monday is shown, taped off with caution tape, as police walk by
The shattered revolving door and the shattered window pane on the door to its right are shown
A shell casing lays on the ground after shots were fired Monday, June 17, 2019, at the Earle Cabell Federal Building in downtown Dallas. Law enforcement returned fire and the shooter was hit by gunfire
Additional video showed the suspect being loaded into an ambulance at the scene
Authorities are shown in a vehicle near the site of the shooting at the Earle Cabell Federal Building in Dallas on Monday
Judicial intern Thompson Du told said he was kept waiting outside by officials, following the incident which occurred at around 8.50am. Du said friends of his who were nearby at the time the shooting took place heard gunfire ring out for about 45 seconds
Nearby El Centro College, which was the site of a deadly officer shooting nearly three years ago, had been placed on lockdown but has now been reopened.
During the July 7, 2016 shooting, five officers were killed, and nine others and two civilians were injured.
Those who died were Dallas Police Department Senior Cpl. Lorne Ahrens, age 48, Officer Michael Krol, 40, Sgt. Michael Smith, 55, Officer Patricio ‘Patrick’ Zamarripa, 32, and Dallas Area Rapid Transit Officer Brent Thompson, 43.
They were killed by Micah Xavier Johnson, who was killed by a police robot after authorities determined they could not otherwise reach him in his barricaded location.
Federal agents have asked anyone with information about Clyde or the incident to call 1-800-CALLFBI. People can submit video and photographs at tips.fbi.gov.