Dallas shooter was US Army reservist who served in Afghanistan
The US gunman, who killed five police officers and wounded seven more in Dallas, Texas on Thursday, was an Army reservist who served a tour in Afghanistan, officials say.
Micah Xavier Johnson, 25, had served as an Army reservist from March 2009 until April 2015, an Army statement said on Friday.
He also served with US forces in Afghanistan between November 2013 and July 2014, added the statement.
Johnson had received several awards, including the Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Army Achievement Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon, Armed Forces Reserve Medal w/ "M" Device, and the NATO Medal.
Police say Johnson's motive for the deadly shootings might have to do with the fact that he was upset by the the killing of two black men by police this week.
The deaths of the two black men at the hands of police in the states of Louisiana and Minnesota were the latest in a long string of killings that gave rise to the Black Lives Matter social movement.
"He was upset about Black Lives Matter. He said he was upset about the recent police shootings," Dallas Police Chief David O. Brown said. "The suspect said he was upset at white people. The suspect stated he wanted to kill white people, especially white officers."
Following the fatal police shootings of Philando Castile in a St. Paul suburb on Wednesday and Alton Sterling in Baton Rouge the day before, demonstrations were held in Dallas and several other cities.
On Thursday, protesters in Chicago, New York, Dallas, Los Angeles, Washington, DC, and other cities took to the streets to slam the killings.
Pro-Palestine rallies spread after students arrested at Columbia University
US police arrest 108 pro-Palestine protesters at Columbia University
Mass rallies held in major US cities in support of Gaza
VIDEO | Press TV's news headlines
Barbados officially announces recognition of Palestine as state
US Senate reauthorizes surveillance bill despite privacy concerns
April 19: ‘Axis of Resistance’ operations against Israeli occupation
Pro-Palestine rallies spread after students arrested at Columbia University
US to pull out troops from Niger after France: Report
US sanctions on Venezuelan oil ‘violation of human rights’: Iran
VIDEO | Hundreds of students take to streets in Milan in support of Palestine
This makes it easy to access the Press TV website
