Texas Gunmen: A Pair of 30-Somethings From Phoenix

FBI Had Identified One Gunman as 'Suspect' in the Past

In the aftermath of the Garland, TX shootout, the gunmen have been identified as a pair of Phoenix residents who lived in the same apartment complex, and often went to the same mosque for Friday prayers.

One of the gunmen, 30-year-old Elton Simpson, had been under investigation by the FBI since 2006, and had been in contact with an FBI informant who was prodding him to confess to terrorism throughout. In 2010, he was prosecuted for “lying to a federal agent” and given a small fine.

At the time, Simpson’s attorney said even this was a trumped-up charge designed to justify a long, wasteful investigation on him. Officials kept watching his social media accounts, but said they had no indication he was plotting anything.

The other gunman, Nadir Soofi, is more of a mystery, and there is no indication he was ever under suspicion at all. Soofi was reportedly born in the US, but attended high school in Pakistan.

While the FBI continues the investigation into the slain gunmen, their motives remain largely speculative, with most officials agreeing they were likely lone wolves, and not actually working with ISIS, despite ISIS claims to the contrary.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.