White House: Investigators ‘rule out’ terror link in Dallas attack

The White House said Friday that investigators have “ruled out” any links to domestic or international terrorism in the shooting of five cops in Dallas during a protest against police killings of black Americans.

The attack, carried out by a man identified as US Army veteran Micah Johnson, took place during what had been a peaceful protest over this week’s killings by police of black men in Louisiana and Minnesota.

“It is my understanding that investigators have now publicly ruled out the possibility that the individual who carried out this terrible act of violence had any sort of connections to terrorist organizations, either in the United States or around the world,” White House spokesman Josh Earnest told reporters in Warsaw, Poland, where US President Barack Obama was attending a NATO summit Friday.

“I don’t think there’s a link to any sort of terrorist conspiracy,” added Earnest, giving a briefing at the NATO.

Earnest said there were no immediate plans for Obama to alter his travel arrangements to return to the United States.

“It’s something we’ll follow closely and if it’s something that merits a change in plan we’ll let you know,” Earnest added.

Obama earlier on Friday called the shootings a “vicious, despicable and calculated” attack.

Dallas Police Chief David Brown told reporters Friday that Johnson “said he was upset about the recent police shootings. The suspect said he was upset at white people. The suspect stated he wanted to kill white people, especially white officers.”

Obama earlier Friday ordered flags lowered to half-staff to honor the 12 police officers and two civilians who were shot in the attack. The proclamation applies to American flags flown at the White House and on all public buildings and grounds, military installations and Navy vessels. It extends through sunset Tuesday, July 12.

Gov. Greg Abbott also ordered Texas flags to be flown at half-staff statewide during the same time period to honor the victims.