Gunman in Dallas Police Headquarters Attack Dead After Standoff in Armored Van

Dallas police headquarters came under attack early Saturday morning by a gunman in an armored van. The suspect rammed a police cruiser and fled the scene, leading police on a chase that ended with a standoff in a nearby suburb. The suspect was shot and killed by a police sniper, Dallas authorities have confirmed.

Several explosive devices were found in the aftermath of the attack, and police deployed robots to conduct a “planned detonation” near the van. Police said at least two additional pipe bombs filled with nails and other bits of shrapnel were found inside the vehicle. During the standoff, police reportedly fired a .50-caliber rifle to disable the van, which closely resembles a “zombie apocalypse assault vehicle” sold on Ebay on June 7.

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Dallas Police Chief David Brown told reporters in a press conference that the shootout began around 12:30am Saturday when the suspect parked in front of the police headquarters in downtown and opened fire. Police initially suspected multiple gunmen in the attack, but they now believe only one person was involved. The gunman fired “from various locations,” and used gun ports built into the sides of his armored van. Remarkably, nobody was injured in the shootout.

After the initial exchange of gunfire, the suspect led a convoy of police vehicles on a chase to a Jack in the Box parking lot in the suburb of Hutchins, about 12 miles away, where more shots were fired. The van later caught fire and exploded during an “intentional detonation” of ordnance, police said, which caused bullets inside to start going off.

According to Brown, the suspect driving identified himself as James Boulware, 35, but his identity and age have not been confirmed. He reportedly told officers that he blames police for losing custody of his son and “accusing him of being a terrorist.” The FBI has been called in to help investigate.

Suspected gunman James Boulware. (Photo via Dallas police/EPA)

Boulware reportedly has a history of family violence. According to the Dallas Morning News, police in Paris, Texas, arrested Boulware in 2013 after he obtained firearms, ammunition, and body armor before threatening to attack his family, churches, and schools. He was reportedly taken into custody on two felony warrants from Dallas County. The case was dismissed last year after he fulfilled requirements imposed on him by a court.

Video from the scene, apparently shot from an adjacent rooftop, showed chaos, with multiple gunshots ringing out and police cruisers swarming to the scene with sirens blaring and lights flashing. In other videos from the scene, gunfire from automatic weapons can be heard, and one witness narrowly misses being hit by a bullet.

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Dallas Police released photos that showed windows at the headquarters riddled by bullets.

Authorities also found four bags outside police headquarters in the aftermath of the attack, including one that held a pipe bomb that later exploded when a bomb squad tried to use a robot to move it.

Witnesses told the AP they heard 15 to 20 gunshots in quick succession when the attack began, and that seconds later police swarmed an unmarked van that appeared to have crashed into a police car. A blast — presumably from the pipe bomb — was heard at around 4:30am.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.