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Garland Police Claims FBI Did NOT Tip Them of Attackers
GARLAND -- Garland's police chief made clear Monday that his department had no advance warning that two gunmen from Phoenix would target a controversial art exhibit.Two men armed with assault rifles and wearing body armor pulled up to the Curtis Culwell Center and opened fire May 3, wounding a Garland ISD security guard. Five Garland police officers, who were providing security at the Muhammad art exhibit, returned fire, killing Elton Simpson and Nadir Soofi. "We had no information from the FBI or anyone else that Elton Simpson posed a threat to our event," Police Chief Mitch Bates said at a news conference, the department's first in a week. FBI Director James Comey said Thursday that federal investigators knew a few hours beforehand that Simpson might be interested in the event. It featured provocative cartoons depicting the Muslim prophet Muhammad. "We didn't have reason to believe that he was going to attack the event or, in fact, we didn't have reason to believe he had left Phoenix," Comey said. "But because we developed reason to believe that he might be interested in the event, we sent it to them as part of what we've been doing in connection with the event generally." A picture, license plate and other information about Simpson was distributed. Garland police confirmed Monday that the assistant chief in charge of securing the event was on that distribution list, but had not seen the information. The FBI called it a bulletin. Bates referred to it as an email, one of many the department receives regularly. "It was not intended to inform us or make us aware that Mr. Simpson was potentially targeting this event," Bates said. "He was simply one of many, many individuals they had looked at." The bulletin information would not have altered the response of law enforcement in any fashion, the chief added. If the Culwell Center was a stated target of a threat, Bates said, the FBI, Department of Public Safety or any other agency would have notified the event command post to inform all personnel at the site. Posted by: Ebbomosh Hupemp2664 2015-05-12 |
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