Texas man shoots dead female Lyft driver dead before being killed when he opens fire in police station: FBI launches terrorism investigation as it emerges gunman was ‘inspired by propaganda’
- Imran Ali Rasheed, 32, called a Lyft to an address in Garland, Texas on Sunday
- Isabella Lewis, 26, arrived to pick him up before noon and Rasheed shot her dead
- He stole her car and drove 10 miles to Plano, Texas and headed to the police dept
- Rasheed was described as behaving erratically when he entered the building
- He left, then returned with a gun and opened fire, and was shot by officers
- No one inside the police station was injured but Rasheed died in hospital
- On Monday police revealed he had been investigated for terrorism 2010- 2013
- They found a note in the Lyft car which they said indicated terrorist inspiration
- The police refused to say which group had inspired him to carry out the act
A terrorism investigation has been launched in Texas after a man shot and killed a Lyft driver, stole her car and drove to a police station where he opened fire before being killed by cops.
Imran Ali Rasheed, 32, had been investigated for suspected terrorist sympathies from 2010 to 2013, police said on Monday.
On Sunday he called a Lyft to an address in Garland, northeast of Dallas, Texas, shortly before midday and shot dead the driver, 26-year-old Isabella Lewis.
He stole her car and drove 10 miles to Plano where he entered the police station lobby and was described as ‘behaving erratically’.
He left the lobby, then returned with a semi-automatic pistol in his right hand opened fire in the direction of a civilian employee, and was shot by officers with three rounds, later dying in hospital.
Imran Ali Rasheed, 32, was shot and killed by police in Plano, Texas on Sunday. On Monday it emerged that he had left a note suggesting a terrorism motive and inspiration from a foreign terror organization
Isabella Lewis, a Lyft driver, was called by Rasheed. ‘We think he called a Lyft, and she was the person who showed up,’ police said. Rasheed then shot and killed her and stole her car
On Monday police said that he had left a note in the stolen Lyft which led the police to call in the FBI and open a terror investigation.
‘Through our search for clues, we found a note in the car that gives us some type of motive for both of these shootings, and also a motive for us to speak to the FBI,’ said Jeff Bryan, chief of Garland police.
The contents of the note were not disclosed.
‘Rasheed may have been inspired by a foreign terrorist organization to commit these acts,’ said Matthew DeSarno, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Dallas.
‘That’s really as much as I can say about that, but bottom line is we believe he may have been inspired.’
He added: ‘Haven’t found any evidence he was directed by or in contact with foreign terrorist actors.
‘He was inspired by the rhetoric and or/propaganda. He wasn’t directed to do this.’
Matthew DeSarno, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Dallas, said they now believe Rasheed was inspired by a foreign terror group – but he acted alone
DeSarno refused to name the terror group, or say whether it was the same group that he was feared to be connected to in the previous inquiry.
‘I don’t want to give any organization the opportunity to claim credit for this,’ he said.
He said they believe Rasheed acted alone, and have no evidence he knew Lewis.
Isabella Lewis did not know her killer, police believe
‘At this point, we do not believe the suspect was provided assistance by others or that others were involved in the incident,’ he said.
DeSarno added: ‘I can’t discuss specifics of the investigation.
‘We have looked at the steps that were taken, and I am satisfied that the investigative team did that properly and thoroughly.
‘In any investigation there comes a time when we are no longer able to consider investigating a subject. And the case team decided he did not pose a threat. That was eight years ago.’
Ed Drain, chief of Plano police, said Rasheed did not live in Plano and they did not know why he traveled to their city to carry out his attack.
‘We have no idea why he came to Plano to confront law officers,’ Drain said.