Before being shot and killed by law enforcement, a shooter opened fire on a border patrol building in McAllen, Texas, early Monday, hurting three people, including two policemen, according to officials.
Following reports of a shooting, McAllen Police Department officers arrived at the U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s McAllen Station at approximately 6 a.m. local time, according to Police Chief Victor Rodriguez.
During a press conference, the chief stated that the building and the agents within were hit by dozens of shots. He said that the gunman did not enter the building.
According to Chief Rodriguez, the person who had opened fire on the structure was neutralized—that is, killed—by Border Patrol agents who returned fire.
Two policemen and a border patrol employee were hurt and transported to a hospital, according to a statement from the Department of Homeland Security.
Ismael Garcia, a 10-year member of the McAllen Police Department, was one of the officers hurt, the department said. According to the authorities, Officer Garcia was shot or struck by shrapnel in the knee and was in stable condition.
Information about the other two injured individuals was not immediately available.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation was looking into the incident, but it was not immediately clear what the motivation was. The authorities identified the shooter as 27-year-old Ryan Louis Mosqueda.
The chief described the gunman’s weapon as an assault rifle but provided no other information. In the parking area of the station, the gunman’s vehicle contained additional weapons and ammo, according to the officials.
According to Chief Rodriguez, the white car with the Michigan license plates had spray paint writing on it that the officers were unable to read.
According to Chief Rodriguez, the gunman was reported missing a few hours earlier on Monday morning and had ties to an address in Weslaco, Texas, which is roughly 16 miles east of McAllen.
According to a statement from the San Antonio FBI office, there isn’t a threat to public safety at this time.
