Two Gunmen Shot Dead Outside Muhammad Cartoon Contest in Texas
According to the AP, a cop and two suspects were shot outside a contest offering a $10,000 prize for cartoons depicting the prophet Muhammad in Texas Sunday.
Update 11:20 pm: Both gunmen are dead, and the guard is reportedly recovering from a non-life threatening gunshot wound to the leg.
The contest, officially titled the Jihad Watch Muhammad Art Exhibit and Cartoon Contest, reportedly received around 350 submissions and featured anti-Islam Dutch politician Geert Wilders as a keynote speaker.
Despite a reportedly heavy SWAT team presence, two suspects were able to shoot a security guard before officers returned fire.
An officer dressed in SWAT gear took the stage toward the end of the event at the Curtis Culwell Center in Garland and told attendees, including an Associated Press reporter, that a shooting had occurred. He said one officer and two suspects were shot.
It wasn’t immediately clear if the shooting was related to the event.
Garland Police Department spokesman Joe Harn declined to confirm the SWAT officer’s statements and said he had no details.
According to WFAA, officers are also searching for a vehicle that may contain explosives.
Update, 5/4/15, 10:59: One of the gunmen has been identified as Elton Simpson.
Update, 05/04/15, 8:12 a.m.: As the New York Times points out, a livestream of the cartoon contest captured the moment a security guard runs up on stage to alert the audience of the shooting. “Were the suspects Muslim?” one person can be heard asking. “I have no idea right now,” the guard responds. (Skip to the 1:29:29 mark.)
[image via NBC]
