GRAPHIC CONTENT WARNING. Reports broke at roughly 10pm ET tonight that shots were fired at a Black Lives Matter demonstration in Dallas, where people gathered to protest the recent police killings of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile. Multiple police officers and peaceful protesters were shot from "elevated positions," with series of controlled bursts, 6 shots at a time, audible on footage. Dallas police report that 2 snipers opened fire and shot 11 officers. Five officers are reported to have died from their injuries. At least one person who was not a police officer is said to have been injured.
Two sniper suspects have been apprehended, Dallas Police reported around 1AM ET. There may be more suspects.
The Dallas Police Chief says some of officers were shot in the back, and that the suspects "intended to injure and kill as many law officers as they could." Police say the suspects threatened to place a bomb in downtown Dallas.
Update: pic.twitter.com/qBJe3q0EtN
— Dallas Police Depart (@DallasPD) July 8, 2016
WATCH: Dallas Police chief believes suspects may have planted a bomb in the downtown area: https://t.co/VKQPFEQwU7 https://t.co/3rGbTdq9eh
— Good Morning America (@GMA) July 8, 2016
At the time of this post, no confirmed information on identity or motive of shooters. Early reports on mass shootings tend to include errors, inaccuracies, bias, and speculation.
Here are early tweets about the mass shooting, including raw video that contains graphic content.
this photo is by the dmn's courageous @SmileyPool. pic.twitter.com/x1MlQmV00A
— mark lamster (@marklamster) July 8, 2016
Witness Shantay Johnson says she saw #DallasShooting suspect during #BlackLivesMatter protest. @dallasnews pic.twitter.com/93Y7raCql4
— G.J. McCarthy (@gjmccarthy) July 8, 2016
BREAKING: Three officers are deceased, two are in surgery and three are in critical condition. #Dallas Police Chief confirms .. no suspects
— Michael Del Moro (@MikeDelMoro) July 8, 2016
DART police officer cries at Baylor Hospital in Dallas. DPD chief says 10 cops shot 3 dead @ #BlackLivesMatter rally pic.twitter.com/UuMIXbzVki
— DMN Photo (@dallasnewsphoto) July 8, 2016
Police search helicopters circling downtown Dallas #dallasshooting pic.twitter.com/2IOobYhQW1
— DMN Photo (@dallasnewsphoto) July 8, 2016
BREAKING: Police chief: At least 1 sniper opened fire on police in Dallas; 10 officers shot, several dead; no suspects in custody.
— NBC Nightly News (@NBCNightlyNews) July 8, 2016
Four DART police officers were shot in downtown Dallas. 1 deceased, others not life-threatening. No IDs yet. Updates via twitter.
— dartmedia (@dartmedia) July 8, 2016
DMN photog @LandisImages heard gunfire and went to the parking garage for cover #dallasshooting pic.twitter.com/z7aKzOidut
— DMN Photo (@dallasnewsphoto) July 8, 2016
Michael Bautista captured part of shooting on video. He saw 1 cop down, dragged into vehicle and taken away. pic.twitter.com/9j1r4LU52k
— Sarah Mervosh (@smervosh) July 8, 2016
Someone started shooting at the end of the #Dallas protests when we were walking back to the parks. It was peaceful, diverse w families.
— Jouelzy (@Jouelzy) July 8, 2016
FOX NEWS broadcasts three individuals down, likely officers. #Dallas pic.twitter.com/4A4bRHXpIv
— TheAnonMessage (@TheAnonnMessage) July 8, 2016
#Dallas Shooter is confined in a building and SWAT negotiators are in contact with the suspect per @CorySmithNBC5
— Astrid Martinez (@astridtv1) July 8, 2016
1 officer taken to Parkland hospital. Another officer taken to Baylor, NBC reporting. #dallas
— Dr. Yasmin (@DoctorYasmin) July 8, 2016
JUST IN: Lt. Governor of Texas Dan Patrick confirms officers shot in #Dallas via tweet
— Michael Del Moro (@MikeDelMoro) July 8, 2016
Update: One suspect is in custody. Another, possibly in a bulletproof vest & tactical gear, is at large. #Dallas #Dallaspoliceshooting
— Jenny Anchondo (@JennyAFox4) July 8, 2016
A witness just told our affiliate @wfaachannel8 that someone was shooting from the roof "like a sniper."
— Michael Del Moro (@MikeDelMoro) July 8, 2016
#DALLAS: "Everybody was fair game, they were just shooting randomly." 2 officers shot. https://t.co/kJvsstCZQG pic.twitter.com/aedx94mCkK
— FOX59 News (@FOX59) July 8, 2016
This is a little bit cleaner clip. Shots fired at the #blacklivesmatter protest. pic.twitter.com/DAJVkCll32
— G.J. McCarthy (@gjmccarthy) July 8, 2016
Officers focused on this building in #Dallas where they believe active shooter is. At least 2 officers down. pic.twitter.com/smKzjJw0zp
— Pat Harvey (@Patharveynews) July 8, 2016
BREAKING: Reports of shots fired at a protest in #Dallas https://t.co/9p3NBdvwpU
— CNN Tonight (@CNNTonight) July 8, 2016
Protest shootings in #Dallas. Looking at raw feeds. Naked eye at least three cops shot. @CBSMiami pic.twitter.com/Vwhy6u8ZF3
— Tania Francois (@SheBreaksNews) July 8, 2016
#breaking Crowd on the run downtown Dallas. Reports of an officer shot at the protest march. pic.twitter.com/zstZnDIRlm
— Doug Dunbar (@cbs11doug) July 8, 2016
MANY gunshots heard in video I captured in #Dallas, just before 9p as rally marched through downtown @wfaachannel8 pic.twitter.com/1O3GB0b9xx
— Marie Saavedra (@MSaavedraTV) July 8, 2016
#BlackLivesMatter march making its way down Main Street in downtown #Dallas @CBSNews pic.twitter.com/AnbkBporSA
— Manuel Bojorquez (@BojorquezCBS) July 8, 2016
THIS ISNT A NORMAL GUN. AT ALL. WTF JUST HAPPENED????? #DALLAS pic.twitter.com/9gvxM8DFid
— Jon Targaryen (@Crym89s) July 8, 2016
our @joshstephenwfaa reporting someone has been shot in downtown #Dallas following #AltonSterling protest pic.twitter.com/y7Lst2CRXX
— David Goins (@dgoins) July 8, 2016
Scene in #Dallas right now. Reports that two officers were shot during protests. pic.twitter.com/6btd1Yd7nO
— FOX 9 (@MyFOX9) July 8, 2016
The #shooting has stopped for now but still a very tense scene in downtown #Dallas. # pic.twitter.com/sy7lA85Iwt
— Rick Mitchell (@RickMitchellWX) July 8, 2016
This footage from Dallas is nuts https://t.co/NK3buB7t6r
— Gideon Resnick (@GideonResnick) July 8, 2016
Video from a protestor as the shooting began. Jesus. Disturbing content. #Dallas #DallasPoliceShooting pic.twitter.com/yhPTI9KC2g
— Andy Cole (@AndyCole84) July 8, 2016
Witness at #Dallas protest tells KTVT: "I heard about 20 gunshots in rapid succession" https://t.co/gztNujSxtr pic.twitter.com/eFMrxoAnde
— CNN International (@cnni) July 8, 2016
Michael Bautista on #Dallas: "It's just been very crazy tonight. It feels like a war zone to be honest." #KellyFile
— Megyn Kelly (@megynkelly) July 8, 2016
Michael Bautista: "It was a very peaceful march… They all looked like they were just there to speak their mind." #Dallas #KellyFile
— Megyn Kelly (@megynkelly) July 8, 2016
"The cops were peaceful," he said. "They were taking pictures with us and everything." #Dallas https://t.co/jmqo0ibJJy
— Daniel M. Jimenez (@DMJreports) July 8, 2016
The shooter was shooting randomly at the crowd as well as officers and wasn't a part of the protest.. Stop spreading misinformation #DALLAS
— aki (@modestmgmts) July 8, 2016
Loving all the conjecture I'm seeing about the shooting when I was at the protest all night and we were PEACEFUL #Dallas
— #ChakaExplainsItAll (@princessology) July 8, 2016
Source tells me one #dallas #shooting officer in surgery right now. @cbsdfw
— Joel Thomas (@CBS11Joel) July 8, 2016
Just watched #Dallas pd officer tell reporter, "If you can see whete theyre shooting from, they can see you. Don't be a target."
— Amanda Guerra (@AmandaGuerraTX) July 8, 2016
Just watched #Dallas pd officer tell reporter, "If you can see whete theyre shooting from, they can see you. Don't be a target."
— Amanda Guerra (@AmandaGuerraTX) July 8, 2016
From a #Dallas woman who lives at site of shooting https://t.co/R5xIa8rAw6
— Joe Adalian (@TVMoJoe) July 8, 2016
Protestors wait downtown and try to get hold of loved ones #dallasshooting at #BlackLivesMatter rally @LandisImages pic.twitter.com/JmuJmkjXNX
— DMN Photo (@dallasnewsphoto) July 8, 2016
Rev dr Jeff Hood, tonight's #BlackLivesMatter Dallas rally organizer, describes what he saw as shots fired pic.twitter.com/PjDQzz7Ui8
— DMN Photo (@dallasnewsphoto) July 8, 2016
The Texas governor on #Dallas. pic.twitter.com/hXefCbfl1s
— Teddy Schleifer (@teddyschleifer) July 8, 2016
1000s protested peacefully in #Dallas, NYC, #Oakland & many other cities tonight. The snipers are not part of their story. #BlackLivesMatter
— Daniel M. Jimenez (@DMJreports) July 8, 2016
Before gunfire, Dallas officers and BLM protesters were posing for photos together https://t.co/Sc1Y5WaZ8S pic.twitter.com/ztr5o2PlvW
— The Boston Globe (@BostonGlobe) July 8, 2016
.@FOX4 reporter says the #Dallas shooting "was a planned assault at the height of, at the end of, this rally."
— Patrick Svitek (@PatrickSvitek) July 8, 2016
Person of interest in Dallas shootings appears to have been on street during incident. https://t.co/q7rTzHzMMe
— Rudolph Bush (@DallasPolitics) July 8, 2016