Here’s a timeline of what we know so far.
Tuesday (July 5)
Two white police officers shoot and kill Alton Sterling, a black man, near a convenience store in Baton Rouge, La. The shooting, captured on a cell phone and posted on social media, spurred protests in some cities.
Wednesday (July 6)
A police officer shoots a black man after pulling him, his girlfriend and his girlfriend’s 4-year-old daughter over for a broken tail light in Falcon Heights, Minn. The man, Philando Castile, dies in the passenger seat of the car as his girlfriend livestreams the aftermath of the shooting on Facebook. The video sparks outrage and debate Thursday, leading to protests in large cities and small towns.
Thursday (July 7)
7 p.m. – People begin to gather for one such protest in downtown Dallas. By the end of the night, an estimated 800 people and some 100 police officers will be in the downtown metro area.
>> Related: Officers killed, injuries reported after peaceful protest in Dallas: What we know
8:45 p.m. – At the scheduled end of the protest, by all accounts a peaceful one, multiple media outlets report shots are being fired. Live televised reports shows protesters marching along a street as shots ring out and the crowd scattering for cover. Police rush to get protestors off the street, pushing them to safety inside buildings.
8: 58 p.m. – Shooters continue firing on officers from at least two positions. It is first reported that nine Dallas Police and one DART (Dallas Area Rapid Transit) officer are shot, along with one civilian – a mother of three boys, one she reportedly shielded after being hit. The New York Times reports that some of the officers were shot in the back.
9:30 p.m. – “PrayforDallas” begins trending on Twitter.
10:15 p.m. – Dallas police say the shooting is “clearly still an active scene” as reports begin to emerge that at least two officers have been shot.
10:30 p.m. – Dallas Area Rapid Transit says one of their officers, Brent Thompson, was killed in the attack. The news is reported via DART's Twitter account.
10:45 p.m. – Dallas Police Chief David O. Brown holds a press conference saying it appears two snipers shot 10 police officers, and three of the officers have died. Three of the injured, he said are in critical condition. He says the snipers shot from "elevated positions.”
11:05 p.m. – Dallas police say four officers have died after at least two snipers opened fire during protests downtown. Six other officers were wounded. At this time, police are negotiating with a suspect who is holed up in a downtown parking garage.
>> Related: Before snipers shot Dallas cops, police stood in solidarity with protesters
11:30 p.m. – Mark Hughes, considered a “person of interest” in the shootings, turns himself in to Dallas Police.
11:35 p.m. – Police also say a suspicious package is being secured by a bomb squad.
Tonight it appears that two snipers shot ten police officers from elevated positions during the protest/rally. Three...
Posted by Dallas Police Department on Thursday, July 7, 2016
Friday (July 8)
12:30 a.m. – Police say they have been exchanging gunfire with a man in the El Centro College garage for about 45 minutes. Dallas Police Chief Brown says, "He has told our negotiators that the end is coming and he's going to hurt and kill more of us – meaning law enforcement – and that there are bombs all over the place in this garage and in downtown.”
1 a.m. – Police and city officials head to Parkland Hospital, followed by a procession of motorcycle police officers who have donned white gloves. “Person of interest” Mark Hughes is released from police custody.
1:21 a.m. – An explosion is heard in the El Centro College garage where a suspect is said to be.
1:42 a.m. – A tweet from the Dallas Police Association confirms that a fifth officer died during surgery.
2 a.m. – Students and faculty that were detained at El Centro College when the shooting started are allowed to leave the building.
2 a.m. – The Federal Aviation Administration restricts flights over downtown Dallas as the investigation into the shootings continues.
3 a.m. – Police report that the man in the El Centro parking garage was shot dead a short time earlier.
5 a.m. – Primary and secondary sweeps for explosives are completed, according to police. None are found.
6 a.m. – President Obama, on a trip to a NATO meeting in Poland, says the attacks are, "vicious, calculated, and despicable."
8 a.m. – Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings says there is a new casualty count: 12 officers and 2 civilians were shot during a downtown protest march.
8:40 a.m. – Police chief Brown says Dallas Police killed the suspect by blowing him up with the help of a "bomb robot."
8:42 a.m. – Brown: "We don't feel much support most days. Please don't let today be most days."
What we know this morning:
- 14 people were shot
- 5 died
- 3 suspects are in custody
- 1 suspect is dead
About the Author