Two Gunmen Killed by Police after Attacking and Wounding Security Guard at Mohammed Drawing Contest

Dale Hurd : May 4, 2015
CBN News

"Our message today is very simple. We will never allow barbarism, never allow Islam, to rob us of our freedom of speech."

[CBN News] A Phoenix apartment was searched by federal agents Monday as part of an investigation into a shooting outside a Muhammad cartoon contest. (Photo via Yahoo News)

On Sunday, Texas police killed two gunmen after they opened fire on participants in a contest to draw cartoons of Islam's prophet Mohammed in the Dallas suburb of Garland.

As the cartoon contest, hosted by the American Freedom Defense Initiative, was ending, two men arrived in a car, jumped out and started shooting.

"This is very scary. We heard boom, boom, boom, and then all of a sudden we saw the cops everywhere," Garland resident Kim Easley told Dallas-Fort Worth's WFAA-TV.

"They drove up, got out and opened fire on the security officer," Garland police spokesman Joe Harn said.

After the security guard was hit, Garland police returned fire, killing both gunmen.

Sunday's attack took place following remarks by Geert Wilders, a Dutch lawmaker known for his outspoken criticism of Islam.

"We are here in defiance of Islam to stand for our rights and freedom of speech," Wilders told contest participants. "That is our duty."

"Our message today is very simple," he continued. "We will never allow barbarism, never allow Islam, to rob us of our freedom of speech."

FBI agents are hoping the Phoenix residence will offer clues as to what motivated the shooting.

Meanwhile, there's evidence Sunday's attack was inspired by the Islamic State.

Approximately 20 minutes before the shooting, a Twitter account expressing support for ISIS used the hashtag 'TexasAttack' and indicated two men were going to give their lives for Allah.

An ISIS spokesman called the gunmen "brothers" of the Islamic State.