Curtis Culwell Center attack: Difference between revisions

Coordinates: 32°57′34″N 96°38′31″W / 32.95956°N 96.64191°W / 32.95956; -96.64191
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|religion = [[Islam]]}}
|religion = [[Islam]]}}


Simpson was born in [[Illinois]] and grew up in suburban [[Westmont, Illinois|Westmont]].<ref name="SimpsonPast">{{cite web|url=http://abc7chicago.com/news/elton-simpson-alleged-shooter-outside-prophet-cartoon-contest-from-illinois/695565/|title=ELTON SIMPSON, SHOOTER IN TEXAS PROPHET CARTOON CONTEST, FROM ILLINOIS|work=ABC 7 Chicago|date=May 4, 2015|accessdate=May 5, 2015}}</ref> He moved to Phoenix at a young age.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://heavy.com/news/2015/05/elton-simpson-garland-texas-muhammad-cartoon-shooter-gunman-name-phoenix-arizona-terrorist-twitter-tweets-photos-fbi-dead-death-video-atawaakul/|title=Elton Simpson: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know|work=Heavy|date=May 4, 2015|accessdate=May 5, 2015}}</ref> He converted to Islam while attending [[Washington High School (Phoenix, Arizona)|Washington High School]]. His lawyer described him as "particularly devout" and "entrenched in Islam", but said he didn't seem to be a threat to anyone.<ref name="SimpsonPast"/><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/suspect-in-texas-attack-previously-face-trial-on-terrorism-charge/2015/05/04/438df596-f279-11e4-bcc4-e8141e5eb0c9_story.html?hpid=z2|title=One Texas suspect was accused in 2010 FBI terror case|date=May 4, 2015|newspaper=Washington Post}}</ref> Simpson was a longtime worshiper at the [[Islamic Community Center in Phoenix]], starting in approximately 2005, but according to the mosque's president, he stopped showing up months prior to the attack.<ref name="reuters1"/><ref name="dallasnews.com">{{cite web|url=http://www.dallasnews.com/news/crime/headlines/20150504-2-garland-shooters-lives-twined-to-tragic-end.ece|title=2 Garland shooters’ lives twined to tragic end|work=dallasnews.com|date=May 5, 2015|accessdate=May 5, 2015}}</ref><ref name="TexasGunmen">{{cite web|url=http://www.sfchronicle.com/news/texas/article/2-gunmen-killed-outside-Muhammad-cartoon-contest-6240040.php|title=Accused Texas gunman well-known to FBI before attack|work=San Francisco Chronicle|date=May 4, 2015|accessdate=May 4, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nltimes.nl/2015/05/04/american-terror-suspect-idd-in-texas-attack/|title=AMERICAN TERROR SUSPECT ID'D IN TEXAS ATTACK|work=NL Times|date=May 4, 2015|accessdate=May 4, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://heavy.com/news/2015/05/elton-simpson-garland-texas-muhammad-cartoon-shooter-gunman-name-phoenix-arizona-terrorist-twitter-tweets-photos-fbi-dead-death-video-atawaakul|title=Elton Simpson: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know|author=Tom Cleary|work=Heavy.com|date=May 4, 2015|accessdate=May 4, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://gma.yahoo.com/official-one-texas-shooting-suspects-ided-111112719--abc-news-topstories.html|title=Official: One of Texas Shooting Suspects IDed|work=Yahoo! News GMA|date=May 4, 2015|accessdate=May 5, 2015}}</ref> He attended [[Yavapai College]], a junior college in [[Prescott, Arizona]].<ref name="GarlandGunmen"/><ref name="houstonchronicle.com">{{cite web|url=http://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/texas/article/Gunman-s-hashtag-hinted-at-Texas-plot-6245034.php|title=Gunman's hashtag hinted at Texas plot|work=Houston Chronicle}}</ref>
Simpson was born in [[Illinois]] and grew up in suburban [[Westmont, Illinois|Westmont]].<ref name="SimpsonPast">{{cite web|url=http://abc7chicago.com/news/elton-simpson-alleged-shooter-outside-prophet-cartoon-contest-from-illinois/695565/|title=ELTON SIMPSON, SHOOTER IN TEXAS PROPHET CARTOON CONTEST, FROM ILLINOIS|work=ABC 7 Chicago|date=May 4, 2015|accessdate=May 5, 2015}}</ref> He moved to Phoenix at a young age.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://heavy.com/news/2015/05/elton-simpson-garland-texas-muhammad-cartoon-shooter-gunman-name-phoenix-arizona-terrorist-twitter-tweets-photos-fbi-dead-death-video-atawaakul/|title=Elton Simpson: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know|work=Heavy|date=May 4, 2015|accessdate=May 5, 2015}}</ref> He converted to Islam while attending [[Washington High School (Phoenix, Arizona)|Washington High School]]. His lawyer described him as "particularly devout" and "entrenched in Islam", but said he didn't seem to be a threat to anyone.<ref name="SimpsonPast"/><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/suspect-in-texas-attack-previously-face-trial-on-terrorism-charge/2015/05/04/438df596-f279-11e4-bcc4-e8141e5eb0c9_story.html?hpid=z2|title=One Texas suspect was accused in 2010 FBI terror case|date=May 4, 2015|newspaper=Washington Post}}</ref> Simpson was a longtime worshiper at the [[Islamic Community Center in Phoenix|Islamic Community Center of Phoenix]], starting in approximately 2005, but according to the mosque's president, he stopped showing up months prior to the attack.<ref name="reuters1"/><ref name="dallasnews.com">{{cite web|url=http://www.dallasnews.com/news/crime/headlines/20150504-2-garland-shooters-lives-twined-to-tragic-end.ece|title=2 Garland shooters’ lives twined to tragic end|work=dallasnews.com|date=May 5, 2015|accessdate=May 5, 2015}}</ref><ref name="TexasGunmen">{{cite web|url=http://www.sfchronicle.com/news/texas/article/2-gunmen-killed-outside-Muhammad-cartoon-contest-6240040.php|title=Accused Texas gunman well-known to FBI before attack|work=San Francisco Chronicle|date=May 4, 2015|accessdate=May 4, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nltimes.nl/2015/05/04/american-terror-suspect-idd-in-texas-attack/|title=AMERICAN TERROR SUSPECT ID'D IN TEXAS ATTACK|work=NL Times|date=May 4, 2015|accessdate=May 4, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://heavy.com/news/2015/05/elton-simpson-garland-texas-muhammad-cartoon-shooter-gunman-name-phoenix-arizona-terrorist-twitter-tweets-photos-fbi-dead-death-video-atawaakul|title=Elton Simpson: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know|author=Tom Cleary|work=Heavy.com|date=May 4, 2015|accessdate=May 4, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://gma.yahoo.com/official-one-texas-shooting-suspects-ided-111112719--abc-news-topstories.html|title=Official: One of Texas Shooting Suspects IDed|work=Yahoo! News GMA|date=May 4, 2015|accessdate=May 5, 2015}}</ref> He attended [[Yavapai College]], a junior college in [[Prescott, Arizona]].<ref name="GarlandGunmen"/><ref name="houstonchronicle.com">{{cite web|url=http://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/texas/article/Gunman-s-hashtag-hinted-at-Texas-plot-6245034.php|title=Gunman's hashtag hinted at Texas plot|work=Houston Chronicle}}</ref>


Simpson was the subject of an FBI investigation in 2007, during which it recorded him stating his intent to travel to [[Somalia]] and join fellow [[jihadist]]s. He had attracted the FBI's attention in the previous year due to his ties to [[Hassan Abujihaad]], a former [[United States Navy]] sailor arrested in Phoenix and convicted of terrorism-related charges; leaking the locations and weaknesses of Navy ships to a jihadist website.<ref name="dallasnews.com"/>
Simpson was the subject of an FBI investigation in 2007, during which it recorded him stating his intent to travel to [[Somalia]] and join fellow [[jihadist]]s. He had attracted the FBI's attention in the previous year due to his ties to [[Hassan Abujihaad]], a former [[United States Navy]] sailor arrested in Phoenix and convicted of terrorism-related charges; leaking the locations and weaknesses of Navy ships to a jihadist website.<ref name="dallasnews.com"/>

Revision as of 16:26, 6 May 2015

Curtis Culwell Center attack
Curtis Culwell Center
LocationGarland, Texas, U.S.
Coordinates32°57′34″N 96°38′31″W / 32.95956°N 96.64191°W / 32.95956; -96.64191
DateMay 3, 2015
6:50 p.m. (UTC−5:00)
TargetAmerican Freedom Defense Initiative members and artists
Attack type
Shooting, terrorist attack
WeaponsAssault rifles
Deaths2 (both perpetrators)
Injured1
PerpetratorsElton Simpson and Nadir Soofi[1]
MotiveRetaliation for depictions of Muhammad

Two men firing assault rifles attacked officers outside an exhibit featuring cartoon images of Muhammad on May 3, 2015, at the Curtis Culwell Center in Garland, Texas.[2]

The attackers shot a Garland Independent School District (ISD) security officer in the ankle.[3] Shortly after the gunmen pulled up and opened fire outside the center, both were shot and killed by a police officer.[4] The Islamic State (ISIS) claimed responsibility for the attack, the first time ISIS took credit for an attack in the U.S.[5][6][7][8] Law enforcement officials have not confirmed or denied the Islamic State's involvement.

On Twitter, one of the gunmen posted a tweet with the hashtag #texasattack: "May Allah accept us as mujahideen." It also pledged allegiance to "Amirul Mu'mineen", a likely reference to Abu Bakr al Baghdadi. The gunman also requested others to follow an ISIS propagandist. After the shooting, that propagandist tweeted: "Allahu Akbar!!!! 2 of our brothers just opened fire."[9]

Background

Muhammad exhibit and contest

The event was advertised as the "First Annual Muhammad Art Exhibit and Contest", presented by the American Freedom Defense Initiative (AFDI), or Stop Islamization of America. A $10,000 reward was offered for the winning cartoon, which was selected from among 350 submissions. The prize was awarded to Bosch Fawstin, a former Muslim and critic of Islam who submitted six drawings,[10] with the text "You can't draw me!"/"That's why I draw you." He was to collect an award of $12,500.[11][12][13]

Dutch politician Geert Wilders was the keynote speaker at the event.[14]

The event featured speeches by Pamela Geller, president of the AFDI, and Geert Wilders, a Dutch lawmaker known for his outspoken criticism of Islam. Congressmen Keith Ellison and André Carson, both Muslims,[15][16] had tried unsuccessfully to block Wilders from entering the United States.[17] Wilders is currently on an Al-Qaeda hit-list following the release of Fitna, a 2008 short film that he had written.[18] The event was motivated by the terrorist attack on the satirical weekly magazine Charlie Hebdo four months prior, and was the first of a planned annual contest.[13] At the time of the attack, the "First Annual Muhammad Art Exhibit and Contest" exhibit was attended by approximately 200 people.[19]

The organizers of the event had paid over $10,000 to a total of forty[3] off-duty police officers and private security guards. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), a SWAT team, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) were all ready[vague] in case of any incidents.[20] At the time, there was reportedly "no immediate credible threat" of an attack.[19]

Before the start of the event, ISIS had recently urged followers living in the U.S., Europe, and Australia who were unable travel to fight in Syria and Iraq to instead carry out jihad in the countries where they lived.[5][21]

American Freedom Defense Initiative / Stop Islamization Of America

The AFDI/SOIA was organized by Geller and Robert Spencer in 2010 to oppose the building of an Islamic center near the World Trade Center.[22]

The AFDI/SOIA is, which describes itself as a "human rights organization dedicated to free speech, religious liberty and individual rights" cites "creeping jihad" as a problem in America.[23] The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) lists AFDI/SOIA anti-Muslim hate group.[24][25]

Location

The "First Annual Muhammad Art Exhibit and Contest" event was hosted at the Curtis Culwell Center, rented from the Garland Independent School District. The center previously hosted a fundraiser in January called "Stand With the Prophet in Honor and Respect", which was organized to combat negative stereotypes of Islam.[26] Geller had spearheaded about 1,000 picketers at that event.[27][28]

Before the start of the "First Annual Muhammad Art Exhibit and Contest", concerns were expressed by Garland citizens about the center hosting the event due to potential backlash and retaliation, a sentiment that had also been voiced prior to the "Stand With the Prophet in Honor and Respect" event. However, officials allowed both events to proceed as planned, since the school district was bound by a nondiscriminatory leasing policy. Garland ISD board president Rick Lambert said in January, "The Culwell Center is available for rental as long as you comply with the law. Because it is a public facility, the district is not allowed to discriminate based upon viewpoint."[28][29]

Attack

Minutes prior to the attack, a man, identified by police as one of the gunmen, posted a tweet with the hashtag #texasattack: "May Allah accept us as mujahideen." In his tweet, he also said he and an accomplice had pledged allegiance to "Amirul Mu'mineen", which terrorism analyst Paul Cruickshank said probably refers to ISIS leader Abu Bakr al Baghdadi. In addition, the user asked his readers on Twitter to follow an ISIS propagandist. After the shooting occurred, the aforementioned ISIS propagandist tweeted: "Allahu Akbar!!!! 2 of our brothers just opened fire."[9]

Just before the event was set to end at around 7:00 p.m.,[19] two men wearing body armor and armed with assault rifles pulled up in a vehicle beside a police car parked next to a barricade set up in front of the center. Seated inside the police car was a Garland traffic police officer and an unarmed Garland ISD security guard. The two gunmen got out of their vehicle and opened fire on the police car, shooting the Garland ISD security guard. The men were then shot and killed by the traffic police officer using his duty .45-caliber Glock pistol. SWAT officers also opened fire on the gunmen.[3][10][18][30][31][32] The Garland ISD officer, identified as 58-year-old Bruce Joiner, was shot in the ankle.[3][33] He was treated at a local hospital and confirmed to be released at 9:00 p.m.[32][34]

Authorities were worried that the suspects' car could contain an incendiary device; as a precaution, several nearby businesses were evacuated and a bomb squad was called to the scene. Police cordoned off a large area and at least three helicopters circled overhead.[35] An officer dressed in SWAT gear took the stage toward the end of the event and told attendees that a shooting had occurred, stating that one officer and two suspects had been shot.[36] It was later confirmed that there were no explosives inside the vehicle.[37] After the attack, Phoenix police began searching the two assailants' apartment.[37]

Perpetrators

Elton Simpson (c. 1985 – May 3, 2015) and Nadir Hamid Soofi (c. 1981 – May 3, 2015), roommates living in an apartment in Phoenix, Arizona, were the assailants in the attack. Simpson had been convicted of a terror-related charge, and supported an ISIS propagandist.[9][38] Simpson was an employee at a dentist's office, while Soofi was running a carpet cleaning business.[39]

Elton Simpson

Elton Simpson
Born
Elton Simpson

c. 1985
Illinois, U.S.
DiedMay 3, 2015 (aged 30)
Cause of deathGunshot wounds
NationalityAmerican
OccupationDental office employee

Simpson was born in Illinois and grew up in suburban Westmont.[40] He moved to Phoenix at a young age.[41] He converted to Islam while attending Washington High School. His lawyer described him as "particularly devout" and "entrenched in Islam", but said he didn't seem to be a threat to anyone.[40][42] Simpson was a longtime worshiper at the Islamic Community Center of Phoenix, starting in approximately 2005, but according to the mosque's president, he stopped showing up months prior to the attack.[20][43][44][45][46][47] He attended Yavapai College, a junior college in Prescott, Arizona.[48][49]

Simpson was the subject of an FBI investigation in 2007, during which it recorded him stating his intent to travel to Somalia and join fellow jihadists. He had attracted the FBI's attention in the previous year due to his ties to Hassan Abujihaad, a former United States Navy sailor arrested in Phoenix and convicted of terrorism-related charges; leaking the locations and weaknesses of Navy ships to a jihadist website.[43]

In May 2009, Simpson told an FBI informant, "I'm telling you, man, we can make it to the battlefield. It's time to roll."[43] He was also recording saying, "If you get shot, or you get killed, it's [heaven] straightaway... That's what we here for ... so why not take that route?"[43] In 2010, one day before Simpson was scheduled to travel to Somalia, he was arrested by federal agents after a four-year terror investigation.[49] The Islamic Community Center of Phoenix posted cash bond of $100,000 to have him released from custody.[50] Simpson was convicted of making a false statement involving international and domestic terrorism, and sentenced to three years of probation and a $600 fine in August 2011 after lying to a federal agent about his travel plans. His lenient sentence was the result of U.S. District Court Judge Mary H. Murguia not finding sufficient evidence to conclude that he planned to join a terrorist organization.[10][9][51][52] He was put on the U.S. federal No Fly List.[9] He had previously intended to travel with others to Syria to fight with ISIS, though his accomplices were arrested during simultaneous FBI raids in San Diego and Minneapolis.[53] Authorities had an open investigation targeting Simpson at the time of the attack.[49]

Minutes prior to the attack, Simpson posted a tweet with the hashtag #texasattack: "May Allah accept us as mujahideen." In his tweet, he also said Simpson and Soofi had pledged allegiance to "Amirul Mu'mineen", which terrorism analyst Paul Cruickshank said probably refers to ISIS leader Abu Bakr al Baghdadi.[9] The profile photo on #texasattack was of Anwar al-Awlaki, who had repeatedly called for violence against cartoonists who insulted the Muslim prophet Muhammad prior to being killed in a U.S. drone strike in 2011 in Yemen.[54] In addition, he asked his readers on Twitter to follow an ISIS propagandist.[9] After the shooting, that ISIS propagandist tweeted: "Allahu Akbar!!!! 2 of our brothers just opened fire."[9]

Nadir Soofi

Nadir Soofi
Born
Nadir Hamid Soofi

c. 1981
Dallas, Texas, U.S.
DiedMay 3, 2015 (aged 34)
Cause of deathGunshot wounds
NationalityAmerican
OccupationBusiness owner

Soofi's father is Pakistani, and his mother is American.[9] According to his mother, he was born at Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas and lived in Garland until age three.[55] The family then moved to Plano, Texas, and then Alabama.[56] His mother, formerly a Catholic, converted to Islam at the request of his father.[43][56] Soofi was also raised as a Muslim by his father.[39] When his parents divorced, he and his brother moved to Pakistan to live with their father and stepmother. During his time there in the 1990s, Soofi attended the International School of Islamabad, a private school in Islamabad, Pakistan, where he was said by friends to have been popular among his classmates.[9][38][48]

In 1998, after living in Pakistan for six years,[57] Soofi moved back to the U.S. to live with his mother in Utah.[9][39][58] The two later moved to Phoenix in the mid-2000s.[48][56] According to his friends in Pakistan, he had difficulties adjusting to the American culture upon moving to the U.S.[58] He took a pre-medical course at the University of Utah starting in the fall semester of 1998, but dropped out in the summer of 2003.[56][39][59] At one point, he also owned Cleopatra Bistro Pizza, a pizza and hot wings eatery that served halal food, though the business struggled and eventually closed down five months prior to the attack.[48][59]

Soofi wrote a note on Facebook four years prior to the attack, in which he asked Allah for forgiveness for every sin – both intentional and unintentional.[9] Soofi was arrested a number of times for minor offenses, including dangerous driving and unlawful possession of drugs.[39] In 2001, he pleaded guilty to possession of alcohol by a minor, alcohol-related reckless driving, and driving on a suspended license. The following year, Soofi pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor assault charge.[21] He was survived by his parents and an eight-year-old son.[44][56][60][61] After the attack, his mother said she did not blame police for killing her son.[62]

ISIS claim of responsibility

In addition to the gunman's tweet pledging allegiance to ISIS, the jihadist group claimed responsibility for the attack, stating on its Al Bayan radio station that "two soldiers of the Caliphate executed an attack on an art exhibit in Garland, Texas.... This exhibit was portraying negative pictures of the Prophet Mohammed."[63] It marked the first time ISIS has taken credit for an attack in the mainland U.S.[5] ISIS promised to launch further attacks in the future.[64] There was initially no evidence that the terror group had contact with the perpetrators, though law enforcement groups are still investigating a possible link.[65] Some counterterrorism experts expressed doubts on the legitimacy of those claims, citing that ISIS had a history of claiming responsibility for attacks they actually had no involvement in.[21] One U.S. official said the attack was "certainly more than just inspiration" by ISIS.[65] A law enforcement official said the attack did not appear to be a clear-cut case of a lone wolf, nor a pure case of someone directed by others to act, but rather something in between the two extremes.[65]

Reactions

Following the attack, Texas Governor Greg Abbott released a statement, calling the attack "senseless" and promising there was an investigation underway. He also issued his gratitude to the Garland police officers for their swift action against the assailants.[19] U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson said that the attack "serves as a reminder that free and protected speech, no matter how offensive to some, never justifies violence of any sort. This attack also underscores the importance of close collaboration between federal, state and local authorities in our Nation's homeland security efforts, as well as public awareness and vigilance." Johnson urged American citizens to not "misdirect" their anger at Muslims.[10] U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon also condemned the attack in a statement.[66]

Muslim organizations also reacted to the attack. The Council on American–Islamic Relations issued a statement condemning the attack and saying, "Bigoted speech can never be an excuse for violence."[10] Dr. Nasim Rehmatullah, National Vice President of the U.S. chapter of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, also said in a statement, "Violence is never an acceptable response to hate speech, no matter how inflammatory and uncivilized that speech is. While we do not yet know what motivated these shooters, we urge calm and defer to local, state, and federal authorities to peaceably and justly resolve this."[30]

In an interview with CNN, Geller denied that the event was intentionally provocative,[67] criticized the media for not defending the First Amendment to the United States Constitution,[67] and pointed out that other religions have been similarly offended but do not react violently.[67] Geller later told CNN that the shooting would not stop her and the AFDI from organizing similar events in the future. She said regarding the attack, "Freedom of speech is under violent assault here."[68] She also said that the shooting showed how "needed our event really was."[69]

Following the attack, ISIS supporters expressed their support online with postings on ISIS-affiliated websites.[70] Bosch Fawstin, the winner of the cartoon contest, has received numerous death threats and has gone into hiding.[71]

Depictions of Muhammad and blasphemy

Though images of Muhammad are not explicitly banned by the Quran itself, prominent Islamic views have long opposed human images, especially those of prophets. Such views have gained ground among certain militant Islamic groups.[72][73][74]

See also

References

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  2. ^ "BREAKING: Shooting At Muhammad Art Exhibit In Garland « CBS Dallas/Fort Worth". dfw.cbslocal.com. Retrieved May 4, 2015.
  3. ^ a b c d "Two gunmen shot dead by cops after opening fire outside controversial 'Prophet Muhammad' art exhibit in Texas". New York Daily News. May 3, 2015. Retrieved May 4, 2015.
  4. ^ "Police kill 2 men who opened fire outside Muhammad art show in Garland". dallasnews.com. Retrieved May 4, 2015.
  5. ^ a b c Julie Watson, Associated Press (May 5, 2015). "Doubts raised about Islamic State claim in Texas attack". Detroit News.
  6. ^ "IS says it was behind US Prophet cartoon attack". BBC. Retrieved May 5, 2015.
  7. ^ "Texas shooting: Islamic State claims responsibility for first US attack as gunmen named". The Telegraph. May 4, 2015. Retrieved May 5, 2015.
  8. ^ "ISIS claims responsibility for Texas attack". CBS News. May 4, 2015. Retrieved May 5, 2015.
  9. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Holly Yan, CNN (May 5, 2015). "Who are the gunmen behind the Texas shooting?". CNN. {{cite web}}: |author= has generic name (help)
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  11. ^ Thomas Lifson (May 4, 2015). "The Muhammad cartoon that won the Draw Muhammad contest". American Thinker. Retrieved May 5, 2015.
  12. ^ Naheed Rajwani (May 4, 2015). "Garland cartoon contest winner reacts to shooting: "They came to kill us and died for it. Justice."". Dallas Morning News. Retrieved May 5, 2015.
  13. ^ a b Chuck Ross (May 4, 2015). "Shooting in Texas Outside of Muslim Cartoon Event". Daily Caller. Retrieved May 5, 2015.
  14. ^ "'The keynote speaker will be Dutch freedom fighter and Parliamentarian Geert Wilders'". Twitter. Retrieved May 5, 2015.
  15. ^ Andre Carson to become first Muslim on House Committee on Intelligence, npr.org; accessed May 5, 2015.
  16. ^ Keith Ellison profile, biography.com; accessed May 5, 2015.
  17. ^ Eugene Volokh (April 29, 2015). "Congressmen Keith Ellison and André Carson call for denial of visa to Dutch legislator Geert Wilders". The Washington Post. Retrieved May 5, 2015.
  18. ^ a b "Overmatched officer stops 2 heavily-armed men at the Curtis Culwell Center in Garland, Texas". WPTV. May 4, 2015. Retrieved May 5, 2015.
  19. ^ a b c d "2 Gunmen Killed Outside Community Center Hosting 'Draw the Prophet' Show". ABC News. May 5, 2015. Retrieved May 4, 2015.
  20. ^ a b "Police raid home of gunman in Mohammad cartoon attack in Texas". Reuters. May 4, 2015. Retrieved May 5, 2015.
  21. ^ a b c "Doubts raised about Islamic State's claim in Texas attack". Yahoo! News. May 5, 2015. Retrieved May 5, 2015.
  22. ^ "How the "ground zero mosque" fear mongering began – Park51, Muslim Community Center in Lower Manhattan". Salon. August 16, 2010. Retrieved September 14, 2010.
  23. ^ "About Stop Islamization of America". Stop Islamization of America.
  24. ^ "Two Armed Men Killed After Shooting Outside Muhammad Cartoon Contest: The Two-Way: NPR". npr.org. May 4, 2015. Retrieved May 5, 2015.
  25. ^ "Mohammad cartoonist says police killing of two gunmen 'justice'". Reuters. May 4, 2015. Retrieved May 5, 2015.
  26. ^ Chasmar, Jessica (January 18, 2015). "'Stand With Prophet' event in Texas draws thousands of protesters". The Washington Times. Retrieved May 5, 2015.
  27. ^ Merchant, Nomaan; Stengle, Jamie (May 3, 2015). "City: 2 gunmen killed outside Muhammad cartoon contest". The Seattle Times. Retrieved May 4, 2015.
  28. ^ a b "As graduations near, some fear Garland ISD's Culwell Center now a target". The Dallas Morning News. May 4, 2015. Retrieved May 5, 2015.
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  31. ^ "Garland ISD Officer Injured, 2 Dead in Shooting Outside Culwell Center in Garland". nbcdfw.com. Retrieved May 4, 2015.
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  33. ^ "2 gunmen shot dead outside Muhammad Art Exhibit in Garland". wfaa.com. Retrieved May 4, 2015.
  34. ^ Gerardo Martinez (May 3, 2015). "2 dead after gunfire outside Muhammad cartoon exhibit in Garland". cbs19.tv. Retrieved May 4, 2015.
  35. ^ "Two suspects killed, officer injured after shooting outside Muhammad cartoon contest in Texas". foxnews.com. Retrieved May 4, 2015.
  36. ^ "Report: gunfire erupts outside Texas anti-Islam event". fox4kc.com. Retrieved May 5, 2015.
  37. ^ a b "Police Search Phoenix Apartment of Curtis Culwell Center Attack". Alaska Native News. May 4, 2015. Retrieved May 5, 2015.
  38. ^ a b "Nadir Hamid Soofi: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know". Heavy. May 4, 2015. Retrieved May 5, 2015.
  39. ^ a b c d e "Profile: Texas gunmen Elton Simpson and Nadir Soofi". BBC News. May 5, 2015. Retrieved May 5, 2015.
  40. ^ a b "ELTON SIMPSON, SHOOTER IN TEXAS PROPHET CARTOON CONTEST, FROM ILLINOIS". ABC 7 Chicago. May 4, 2015. Retrieved May 5, 2015.
  41. ^ "Elton Simpson: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know". Heavy. May 4, 2015. Retrieved May 5, 2015.
  42. ^ "One Texas suspect was accused in 2010 FBI terror case". Washington Post. May 4, 2015.
  43. ^ a b c d e "2 Garland shooters' lives twined to tragic end". dallasnews.com. May 5, 2015. Retrieved May 5, 2015.
  44. ^ a b "Accused Texas gunman well-known to FBI before attack". San Francisco Chronicle. May 4, 2015. Retrieved May 4, 2015.
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