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112-508: The district encompasses approximately 100 square miles (260 km). With a student enrollment of 56,459 students, GISD is currently the fourth largest school district in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex , and is thirteenth largest district in the state of Texas. Garland High School , the district's first high school, is more than one hundred years old. In 2009, the school district was rated "academically acceptable" by

224-483: A humid subtropical climate ( Köppen climate classification : Cfa). It is also continental, characterized by a relatively wide annual temperature range for the latitude. The Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex is located at the lower end of Tornado Alley , and can experience extreme weather. In the Metroplex, summers are very hot and humid, although low humidity characteristics of desert locations can appear at any time of

336-462: A Fortune 500 company and one of the world's largest engineering companies, relocated from Pasadena, California to Dallas. Toyota USA, in 2016, relocated its corporate headquarters to Plano, Texas . Southwest Airlines is headquartered in Dallas. The airline has more than 53,000 employees as of October 2016 and operates more than 3,900 departures a day during peak travel season. On the other side of

448-591: A Republican mayor. The Republican Party has historically been dominant in the Dallas–Fort Worth area, including in presidential elections. Democrats have consistently won Dallas County since 2008. In 2020 , Joe Biden narrowly won Tarrant County, whose county seat is Fort Worth, marking the first time since 1964 that the Democratic candidate had carried the county. The cities of Dallas and Fort Worth have their own newspapers, The Dallas Morning News and

560-567: A component of S&P's 20-city composite index of the value of the U.S. residential real estate market. The Metroplex is one of the 12 U.S. metropolitan areas that has a team in each of the four major professional sports leagues. Major professional sports first came to the area in 1952, when the Dallas Texans competed in the National Football League for one season. In 1960, major professional sports returned when

672-513: A drone strike in Syria, due to his influence in motivating lone wolf -style attacks. U.S. officials reportedly had a strong desire to assassinate Hussain, listing him as the third-highest ISIL target on the Pentagon's " kill list " behind Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi and Mohammed Emwazi . In December 2017, a Florida Jewish American internet troll , Joshua Ryne Goldberg , was convicted of planning

784-429: A key role in the area's economy. DFW recently surpassed Chicago to become the second-largest financial services hub in the nation, eclipsed only by New York. Bank of America , JPMorgan Chase , Liberty Mutual , Goldman Sachs , State Farm , Charles Schwab Corporation , and Fidelity Investments maintain significant operations in the area. The Metroplex also contains the largest Information Technology industry base in

896-562: A little over 4% of the religious population. The Dallas–Fort Worth, TX–OK combined statistical area is made up of 20 counties in North Central Texas and one county in South Central Oklahoma . The statistical area includes two metropolitan areas and seven micropolitan areas . The CSA definition encompasses 14,628 sq mi (37,890 km ) of area, of which 14,126 sq mi (36,590 km )

1008-587: A misdemeanor assault charge. The case was also dismissed. He was survived by his parents and an eight-year-old son from a failed marriage. After the attack, his mother said her son was "brainwashed" by Simpson, claims that were echoed by his father and maternal grandmother, and that she did not blame police for killing her son. Abdul Kareem was born and raised in Philadelphia as Decarus Lowell Thomas. In 2013, he changed his name to Abdul Malik Abdul Kareem and converted to Islam. He occasionally attended

1120-623: A negative reaction from extreme Islamists, she shares something in common with civil rights leader the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. " Victor Davis Hanson wrote in an article in the National Review online magazine that "radical Islam has already cut a huge swathe out of American free speech through more than a decade of death threats." He also wrote that the criticism directed towards Geller for supposedly striking up religious hatred

1232-413: A shootout with police guarding the event, and the deaths of the two perpetrators. The attackers shot an unarmed Garland Independent School District (GISD) security officer in the ankle. Shortly after opening fire, both attackers were shot by an off-duty Garland police officer and killed by SWAT. The FBI had been monitoring the two attackers for years, and an undercover agent was right behind them when

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1344-537: A threat to anyone. Simpson was a longtime worshiper at the Islamic Community Center of Phoenix , starting in approximately 2005, but according to the mosque's president, Usama Shami, he stopped showing up months prior to the attack. The mosque has been part of previous terrorism probes. He attended Yavapai College in Prescott, Arizona , playing basketball for the college there. Simpson

1456-462: A total of eleven times between 1991 and 2004, and also served jail time twice. Following the attack, he lied to FBI investigators several times and said he was not asked by Simpson or Soofi to directly participate in the attack. However, according to a confidential informant, Kareem was indeed planning on participating with them and had been angry at the informant for not selling him suppressors and bulletproof vests . He allegedly attempted to fund

1568-490: Is American. According to his mother, he was born at Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas and lived in Garland until age three. The family then moved to Plano, Texas , and then Alabama . His mother, who was raised Catholic , converted to Islam at the request of his father. Soofi was also raised as a Muslim by his father. He and his brother moved to Pakistan with their father and stepmother after their parents were divorced in

1680-455: Is a $ 31.5 million multi-purpose rentable facility featuring an arena and a conference center. The complex was built by HKS, Inc. and funded by a bond election held in fall of 2002. Although the facility replaced Southern Methodist University's Moody Coliseum as Garland ISD's primary location to host the district's commencement exercises in May 2005, the 190,000-square-foot (18,000 m) complex

1792-537: Is a line of rugged hills that goes north to south about 15 miles (24 km) that looks similar to the Texas Hill Country 200 miles (320 km) to the south. The Dallas–Fort Worth–Arlington metropolitan statistical area is formed by a combination of two separate metropolitan statistical divisions. The Dallas–Plano–Irving MDA and Fort Worth–Arlington–Grapevine MDA come together to form one full metropolitan area or conurbation. Dallas–Fort Worth has

1904-587: 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." 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 said he and an accomplice had pledged allegiance to " Amirul Mu'mineen ", which Paul Cruickshank of CNN said probably referred to ISIL leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi . The user also asked his readers to follow Junaid Hussain on Twitter. After

2016-529: Is covered by water. The conurbated metropolitan area is larger in area than the U.S. states of Rhode Island and Connecticut combined, and larger than New Jersey . If the metropolitan area were a sovereign state, it would rank the 162nd largest state by total area after Lebanon . The U.S. Office of Management and Budget combines the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex with the Sherman–Denison metropolitan area and seven micropolitan statistical areas to form

2128-615: Is home to 23 Fortune 500 companies, the 4th-largest concentration of Fortune 500 companies in the United States behind New York City (62), Chicago (35), and Houston (24). In 2016, the metropolitan economy surpassed Houston, the second largest metro area in Texas, to become the fourth-largest in the U.S. The Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex boasted a GDP of just over $ 620.6 billion in 2020 (although both metropolitan regions have switched places multiple times since GDP began recording). If

2240-513: Is home to six Nobel Laureates and was ranked No. 1 in the world among healthcare institutions in biomedical sciences. The Metroplex is also the second most popular metropolis for megachurches in Texas (trailing the Greater Houston metropolitan area ), ranked the largest Christian metropolitan statistical area in the U.S., and has one of the largest LGBT communities in Texas since 2005. A portmanteau of metropolis and complex ,

2352-611: Is hosted annually at Texas Motor Speedway , the AAA Texas 500 , and two PGA Tour events are held annually in the Metroplex, the AT&;T Byron Nelson and the Colonial National Invitation Tournament. The Metroplex has hosted many premiere sports events on both an annual and one-time basis. Dallas Trinity FC ^- Indicates year team relocated to the area ^- Indicates year team relocated to

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2464-606: Is land and 502 sq mi (1,300 km ) is water. The population density was 485 people per square mile according to estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau. At the 2000 U.S. census , there were 5,487,956 people, 2,006,665 households, and 1,392,540 families residing within the CSA. The racial makeup of the CSA was 70.41% White , 13.34% Black or African American , 0.59% Native American , 3.58% Asian , 0.08% Pacific Islander , 9.62% from other races , and 2.39% from two or more races . Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 20.83% of

2576-558: Is scheduled for release on November 20, 2041. In addition to the gunman's tweet pledging allegiance to ISIL, 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." It marked the first time ISIL took credit for an attack in

2688-408: Is set to host the most matches during the 2026 FIFA World Cup . The Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex is the most populous Republican-leaning metropolitan area in the country. However, since 2016 Democrats have been making inroads in the area's suburbs. As of 2024, both the mayor of Dallas and the mayor of Fort Worth are Republicans, with Dallas being the largest city in the United States to have

2800-548: The Fort Worth Star-Telegram , respectively. Historically, the two papers had readership primarily in their own counties. As the two cities' suburbs have grown together in recent years (and especially since the demise of the Dallas Times Herald in 1991), many sites sell both papers. This pattern of crossover has been repeated in other print media, radio, and television. Since the 1970s all of

2912-544: 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. Following the attack, ISIL supporters expressed their support online with postings on ISIL-affiliated websites. Bosch Fawstin,

3024-518: The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) to sell weapons to persons who normally would not be legally allowed such purchases, an action that would later become the ATF gunwalking scandal . The Tribune wrote that Soofi's purchase was initially put on a seven-day hold but that "for reasons that remain unclear, the hold was lifted after 24 hours, and Soofi got the 9-millimeter." The day after

3136-522: The Charlie Hebdo attack did their part. It's time for brothers in the #US to do their part." Investigators believe Hussain and Hassan encouraged Simpson to commit an attack on U.S. soil, but also that Simpson assembled the attack plan and targeted the art exhibit on his own accord. Simpson was identified as the same user who posted a tweet with the hashtag #texasattack: "May Allah accept us as mujahideen ." The profile photo on #texasattack

3248-773: The Dallas Cowboys began competing in the National Football League and the Dallas Texans began competing in the American Football League . The Dallas Texans later relocated to Kansas City and became the Chiefs . In 1972, Major League Baseball's Washington Senators moved to Arlington to become the Texas Rangers , named after the statewide law enforcement agency . The National Basketball Association expanded into North Texas in 1980 when

3360-1026: The Dallas Mavericks were added to the league. The fourth sport was added in 1993 when the Minnesota North Stars of the National Hockey League moved to Dallas, becoming the Dallas Stars . The Major League Soccer team FC Dallas is based in Frisco, and the Dallas Wings of the WNBA play in Arlington. The area is also home to many minor-league professional teams, and four colleges that compete in NCAA Division I athletics. A NASCAR Cup Series race

3472-403: The Islamic Community Center of Phoenix , the same mosque where Simpson and Soofi had attended, were met with counter-protests. Jon Ritzheimer , a former U.S. Marine, organized the protest to take place during Friday evening prayers as a "response to the recent attacks in Texas." On June 2, 2015, Boston police killed a Roslindale man armed with a military-style knife after the man charged at

Garland Independent School District - Misplaced Pages Continue

3584-549: The Texas Education Agency . Garland ISD implements a Freedom of Choice/Choice of School plan, which allows parents to choose which school his/her children want to attend within the district for the following school year. The Choice of School plan is a desegregation plan resulting from the Civil Rights Act of 1964 . The plan stipulates that all schools must adhere to the ethnicity ratios established by

3696-577: The U.S. Office of Management and Budget are italicized. 1,000,000+ 500,000–999,999 200,000–499,999 100,000–199,999 Numerically, the Metroplex is the fastest growing metropolitan area in the U.S. At the 2020 U.S. census 7,637,387 people lived in the area, up from 6,371,773 in 2010, and 2,974,805 in 1970. In 2020, the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex's racial composition was 42% non-Hispanic white , 16% Black or African American, 8% Asian, 3-4% two or more races, and 29% Hispanic or Latino American of any race. According to information gathered from

3808-500: The U.S. Office of Management and Budget , is the most populous metropolitan statistical area in the U.S. state of Texas and the Southern United States , encompassing 11 counties . Its historically dominant core cities are Dallas and Fort Worth . It is the economic and cultural hub of North Texas . Residents of the area also refer to it as DFW (the code for Dallas Fort Worth International Airport ) or

3920-580: The 1990s. During his time there, Soofi attended the International School of Islamabad , where he was said by friends to have been popular among his classmates. In 1998, after living in Pakistan for six years, Soofi moved back to the U.S. to live with his mother in Utah . The two later moved to Phoenix in the mid-2000s. According to his friends in Pakistan, he had difficulties adjusting to

4032-548: The AFDI, and Dutch politician Geert Wilders , party leader of the Party for Freedom and outspoken critic of Islam. Congressmen Keith Ellison and André Carson had tried unsuccessfully to block Wilders from entering the United States. At the time of the attack, the "First Annual Muhammad Art Exhibit and Contest" exhibit was attended by approximately 150 people, although the number was initially estimated at 200. The organizers of

4144-624: The American culture upon moving to the U.S. 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. 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. Soofi was arrested and charged for more than twenty minor offenses, most of them traffic violations. In June 2001, when he

4256-463: The Census Bureau defines 31 other urban areas as well, some of which form the core of their own metro or micro statistical areas separate from the Dallas–Fort Worth metropolitan statistical area. Urban areas situated primarily outside the Dallas–Fort Worth metropolitan statistical area but within the CSA are identified with a cross (†) in the table below. The cities of Dallas and Fort Worth are

4368-523: The Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area's population had increased to 8,100,037, with the highest numerical growth of any metropolitan area in the United States. The metropolitan region's economy, also referred to as Silicon Prairie, is primarily based on banking , commerce , insurance , telecommunications , technology , energy , healthcare , medical research , transportation , manufacturing , and logistics . As of 2022, Dallas–Fort Worth

4480-682: The Dallas–Fort Worth TX–OK combined statistical area. The Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex overlooks mostly prairie land with a few rolling hills dotted by human-made lakes cut by streams, creeks and rivers surrounded by forested land. The Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex is situated in the Texas blackland prairies region, so named for its fertile black soil found especially in the rural areas of Collin , Dallas , Ellis , Hunt , Kaufman , and Rockwall counties. Many areas of Denton , Johnson , Parker , Tarrant , and Wise counties are located in

4592-692: The Fort Worth Prairie region of North Texas, which has less fertile and more rocky soil than that of the Texas blackland prairie; most of the rural land on the Fort Worth Prairie is ranch land. A large onshore natural gas field , the Barnett Shale , lies underneath this area; Denton, Tarrant and Wise counties feature many natural gas wells. Continuing land use change results in scattered crop fields surrounded by residential or commercial development. South of Dallas and Fort Worth

Garland Independent School District - Misplaced Pages Continue

4704-634: The Garland Police Department and an unarmed Garland ISD security guard. The two gunmen got out of their vehicle and fired dozens of rounds at the police car, shooting the Garland ISD security guard. The men were then shot and wounded by Stevens, and eventually killed by SWAT officers. The Garland ISD officer, identified as 58-year-old Bruce Joiner, was shot in the ankle. He was treated at a local hospital and confirmed to be released at 9:00 p.m. Authorities were worried that

4816-484: The Garland attack first brought Goldberg to the attention of the FBI. The FBI also found that Elton Simpson retweeted a message from Goldberg's Twitter handle on the morning of the attack. Following the attack, 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

4928-583: The Islamic Community Center of Phoenix since at least 2011 and cleaned carpets there. Kareem had a criminal record in Arizona, including two aggravated drunken driving convictions and an aggravated assault charge in 1997. In the latter incident, a woman told police that he pointed a gun in her direction; Abdul Kareem claimed he instead took the weapon away from his brother during an argument and wasn't pointing it at anyone. He had been arrested

5040-477: The Metroplex . The Dallas–Fort Worth– Arlington metropolitan statistical area's population was 7,637,387 according to the U.S. Census Bureau 's 2020 census , making it the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the U.S. and the eleventh-largest in the Americas . In 2016, the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex had the highest annual population growth in the United States. By 2023, the U.S. Census Bureau estimated that

5152-633: The Metroplex altogether was $ 21,839. The Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex's religious population are predominantly Christian and the largest metro area that identify with the religion in the United States (78%). Methodist , Baptist , Presbyterian , and Catholic churches are prominent in many cities and towns in the metropolitan region. The Methodist and Baptist communities anchor two of the area's major private universities ( Southern Methodist University and Dallas Baptist University ). Non-Christian faiths including Islam , Judaism , Hinduism , Sikhism , Buddhism , and contemporary paganism collectively form

5264-477: The Metroplex were a sovereign state , it would have the twentieth largest economy in the world as of 2019. In 2015, the conurbated metropolitan area would rank the ninth-largest economy if it were a U.S. state. In 2020, Dallas–Fort Worth was recognized as the 36th best metropolitan area for STEM professionals in the U.S. The Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex comprises the highest concentration of colleges and universities in Texas. The UT Southwestern Medical Center

5376-519: The Metroplex, forcing daytime highs below the 50 °F (10 °C) mark for several days at a time and often between days with high temperatures above 80 °F (27 °C). Snow accumulation is seen in the city in about 70% of winter seasons, and snowfall generally occurs 1–2 days out of the year for a seasonal average of 1.5 inches (4 cm). Some areas in the region, however, receive more than that, while other areas receive negligible snowfall or none at all. The all-time record low temperature within

5488-526: The Metroplex, primarily on the "Fort Worth side." They are concentrated along State Highway 170 near I-35W, commonly called the "Alliance Corridor" due to its proximity to the Fort Worth Alliance regional airport. Changes in house prices for the Metroplex are publicly tracked on a regular basis using the Case–Shiller index ; the statistic is published by Standard & Poor's and is also

5600-516: The Metroplex, the Texas farming and ranching industry is based in Fort Worth, though the area's economy is diverse. American Airlines , the largest airline in the world, recently completed their new $ 350M corporate HQ complex in Fort Worth. American Airlines is also the largest employer in the Metroplex. Several major defense manufacturers, including Lockheed Martin , Bell Helicopter Textron , and Raytheon , maintain significant operations in

5712-568: The Metroplex. Of the immigrant population, 44.1% were from Latin America , 35.8% Asia , 7.1% Europe , and 13.1% Africa . In 2010, 77,702 foreign nationals immigrated; approximately 50.6% came from Latin America, 33.0% from Asia, 7.3% Europe, and 9.1% Africa. During the 2020 American Community Survey, an estimated 18.5% of its population were foreign-born, with 56% from Latin America, 30% Asia, 8% Africa, 4% Europe, and 1% elsewhere from North America. The median household income in Dallas–Fort Worth

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5824-528: The North Texas Commission, the Metroplex's racial and ethnic makeup was 46% non-Hispanic white, 15% Black or African American , 7% Asian American , and 3% from other races in 2017. Ethnically, Hispanics and Latinos of any race made up 29% of the metropolitan population. From 2010 to 2017, Hispanics and Latinos increased an estimated 38.9% followed by Blacks and African Americans. In 2015, an estimated 101,588 foreign-born residents moved to

5936-911: The Rowlett police chief Mike Broadnax said “Allowing this only promotes the discontent and hatred for police to continue. It’s a bad day.” In response, Coyle Middle School principal Michael Bland emailed school staff stating, "...If any of the political messages on the signs offended anyone, I apologize on behalf of the administration.". There was a "contest to draw cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad" that resulted in an attack by two Muslim men who were shot dead by Garland Police . Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex Dallas–Fort Worth–Arlington, TX MSA Other Statistical Areas in Dallas–Fort Worth CSA The Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex , officially designated Dallas–Fort Worth–Arlington by

6048-762: The area Texas A&M University–Commerce The headquarters for both the Big 12 and American Athletic Conference are located in Irving , Conference USA headquarters are in Dallas, the Southland Conference headquarters are in Frisco , and the Western Athletic Conference is headquartered in Arlington. Note: Venues are listed with their current names, not necessarily those in use when an event took place. The AT&T Stadium in Arlington

6160-544: The area are cool to mild, with occasional cold spells. The average date of first frost is November 12, and the average date of last frost is March 12. January is typically the coldest month, with an average daytime high of 56.8 °F (14 °C) and an average nighttime low of 37.3 °F (3 °C). The normal daily average temperature in January is 47.0 °F (8 °C) but sharp swings in temperature can occur, as strong cold fronts known as " Blue Northers " pass through

6272-429: The assailants in the attack. Simpson was convicted of making a false statement about terrorism in 2011, and followed hacker and pro-ISIL propagandist Junaid Hussain on Twitter. Simpson was an employee at a dentist's office, while Soofi was running a carpet cleaning business. A third man, Abdul Malik Abdul Kareem (born c. 1972), was responsible for housing Simpson and Soofi at his home, as well as supplying them with

6384-532: The assailants. U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson said: [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. Texas Republican Senator John Cornyn said

6496-466: The attack appears to have been inspired, but not directed, by ISIL. An online ISIL persona run by internet troll Joshua Ryne Goldberg had posted maps to the exhibition, and urged his followers to attack the event. Goldberg pleaded guilty to federal charges in December 2017. His persona was retweeted by one of the attackers on the morning of the attack, and Goldberg claimed responsibility for inciting

6608-540: The attack by feigning injuries inflicted after being struck by a car and then making an insurance claim based on the injuries. Previously, Abdul Kareem was investigated by the FBI in 2012 for having a terrorism training document on his computer and developing a plot to attack the Super Bowl XLIX game in Glendale, Arizona with pipe bombs. He had also reportedly accessed a list released by ISIL, which contained

6720-596: The attack to multiple news outlets and in his plea agreement. The event, which featured images of Muhammad , was advertised as the "First Annual Muhammad Art Exhibit and Contest", presented by the American Freedom Defense Initiative (AFDI), or Stop Islamization of America. It was organized by the AFDI together with the David Horowitz Freedom Center 's Jihad Watch , run by Robert Spencer . A $ 10,000 award

6832-465: The attack was "certainly more than just inspiration" by ISIL. 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"; instead, "it appears to be something in between the two extremes". According to Defense Secretary Ashton Carter , the shooting was inspired, but not directed, by ISIL. In August 2015, Centcom announced that it had killed Junaid Hussain in

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6944-561: The attack, ISIL had urged followers and sympathizers who were unable to join the fighting in the Syrian Civil War to carry out jihad in their home countries. Approximately three hours prior to the start of the contest, the FBI had alerted the Garland Police Department that a suspected extremist, identified as gunman Elton Simpson, was "interested in the event" and could show up there. However, FBI officials later clarified they had no reason to believe an actual attack would occur at

7056-593: The attack, the U.S. Department of Justice sent an urgent firearms disposition request to Lone Wolf Trading Co. As of the date of the Tribune ' s report, the FBI has not released any details of the guns used by Simpson and Soofi. The injured security guard, Bruce Joiner, filed a federal lawsuit in October 2017 against the FBI and DOJ . Evidence submitted to court in previous cases confirm that an FBI undercover agent

7168-451: The battlefield. It's time to roll." He was also recorded 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?" In 2010, one day before Simpson was scheduled to travel to Somalia, he was arrested by federal agents as the result of a four-year investigation. The Islamic Community Center of Phoenix posted cash bond of $ 100,000 to have him released from custody. Simpson

7280-542: The bombing of a 2015 9/11 memorial event in Kansas City . In his communications with an FBI informant, Goldberg claimed credit for inspiring the Garland attack. Goldberg's fake Twitter persona using the name "Australi Witness" had posted a map of the Curtis Culwell Center and urged any in the area to attack "with your weapons, bombs, or knives". News reports about Goldberg's online persona calling for

7392-686: The city is −3 °F (−19 °C), set on January 18, 1930, however the temperature at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport reached −2 °F (−19 °C) on February 16, 2021, during Winter Storm Uri . The following are cities and towns categorized based on the latest population estimates from the North Central Texas Council of Governments (as of July 1, 2022). No population estimates are released for census-designated places (CDPs), which are marked with an asterisk (*). These places are categorized based on their 2020 census population. Places designated "principal cities" by

7504-401: The contest was an expression of free speech. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon also condemned the attack in a statement. 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." Dr. Nasim Rehmatullah, National Vice President of the U.S. chapter of

7616-746: The contest. Officers later stated that they were not aware of the alert. 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. Geller had spearheaded about 1,000 picketers at that event. Before

7728-434: The courts while not exceeding the student capacities of each individual campus. Most students choose to attend the school to which they would be assigned absent Free Choice; preference is given to students residing closest to the school facility. Garland ISD schools have defined "transportation areas" that provide school bus transportation to students who live two or more miles from the nearest available school. Garland ISD has

7840-450: The end of the event and told attendees that a shooting had occurred, stating that one officer and two suspects had been shot. It was later confirmed that there were no explosives inside the vehicle. After the attack, Phoenix police began searching the two assailants' apartment. 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

7952-415: The ethnic makeup of the district was 40.7% Hispanic , 32.5% White , non-Hispanic, 18.7% African American , 7.6% Asian / Pacific Islander , and 0.5% Native American . As of 2015 the district had over 2,000 students of Vietnamese heritage . GISD operates Spanish and Vietnamese bilingual programs, the latter only being available at grades PK-3 at 10 elementary schools and Parsons PreK. In 1997, over 50% of

8064-505: The event had paid over $ 10,000 to a total of forty off-duty police officers and private security guards. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), a SWAT team, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) were also brought in for the occasion of any possible incidents. At the time, there was reportedly "no immediate credible threat" of an attack. Prior to

8176-594: The firearms and ammunition used in the attack. According to an indictment, around June 2014, the three began conspiring to support ISIL and considered targeting a number of locations for terrorist attacks. Simpson was born in Illinois and raised in suburban Westmont . He moved to Phoenix at a young age. He converted to Islam while attending Washington High School . His lawyer described him as "particularly devout" and "entrenched in Islam", but said he did not seem to be

8288-481: The first shots were fired. The injured security guard filed a lawsuit against the FBI in October 2017, claiming the FBI was partially responsible for his injuries. The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) claimed responsibility for the attack plot, the first time the militant group took credit for an attack in the United States. ISIL's claim of responsibility was not verified, and U.S. officials stated that

8400-432: The mainland U.S. ISIL promised to launch further attacks in the future. There was initially no evidence that ISIL had contact with the perpetrators, and law enforcement groups continued to investigate a possible link. Some counterterrorism experts expressed doubts on the legitimacy of those claims, noting that ISIL has in the past claimed responsibility for attacks they actually had no involvement in. One U.S. official said

8512-523: The market had 38 AM stations, 58 FM stations (many of them class Cs ), and 18 full-power television stations. Per another study the area has a total of 62 FM stations and 40 AM stations as of 2020. Curtis Culwell Center attack Three handguns: The Curtis Culwell Center attack was a failed terrorist attack on an exhibit featuring cartoon images of Muhammad at the Curtis Culwell Center in Garland, Texas , US on May 3, 2015, which ended in

8624-483: The names and addresses of U.S. service members. He was arrested on June 11 and charged with "conspiracy, making false statements and interstate transportation of firearms with intent to commit a felony." According to an indictment, Kareem practiced shooting with Simpson and Soofi between January and May in Phoenix. According to CNN, the firearms were all bought legally. His trial was initially set for August 4, but it

8736-485: The officers. The man had planned to assassinate Geller because of the contest, but became impatient and decided to target local police instead. In an interview with CNN, Geller denied that the event was intentionally provocative, criticized the media for not defending the First Amendment, and pointed out that other religions have been similarly offended but do not react violently. Geller later told CNN that

8848-768: The only "free choice system" in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex and in the United States of America . The change in demographics, with GISD's student body becoming about 50% Hispanic and Latino by 2013, interfered with the ethnicity bands set in the 1980s. In 2016 the attendance rate for students in the district was 96%, compared with a state average of 96%. 48% of the students in the district were economically disadvantaged, 10% enroll in special education, 7% enroll in gifted and talent programs, 22% are enrolled in career and technology programs, and 24% are considered "limited English proficient." In 2006

8960-531: The population was foreign-born. The median household income was $ 67,589 and the per capita income was $ 34,455. An estimated 11.5% lived below the poverty line. The median age of the DFW CSA was 35.3. At the core of the Dallas–Fort Worth combined statistical area (CSA) lies the Dallas–Fort Worth–Arlington, TX urban area , the sixth-most populous in the United States. Within the boundaries of the CSA

9072-467: The population. The median income for a household in the CSA was $ 43,836, and the median income for a family was $ 50,898. Males had a median income of $ 37,002 versus $ 25,553 for females. The per capita income for the CSA was $ 20,460. At the 2020 census, the DFW CSA had a population of 8,121,108 (though a July 1, 2015 estimate placed the population at 7,504,362). In 2018 it had an estimated 7,994,963 residents. The American Community Survey determined 18% of

9184-478: The provocation are blaming the victim just as those who say rape victims are asking for it." Stephens went on to argue that a "society that rejects the notion of a heckler's veto cannot accept the idea of a murderer's veto..." Rich Lowry , writing in Politico , defended Geller's idea that the contest and exhibit's purpose was about freedom of speech: Respectable opinion can't bear the idea that she has become

9296-523: The region roughly in half along Texas Interstate 35 , which runs north–south, splitting into two 'branches' ( I-35E in Dallas and I-35W in Fort Worth) through the Metroplex. They refer to places as being on the "Dallas side" or the "Fort Worth side", or in "the Arlington area", which is almost directly south of the airport; cities in the Arlington area form the Mid-Cities . It is nominally between

9408-695: The role of Islam and about the reaction of some Muslims, fortunately only a small portion of Muslims do these kinds of things. But beyond that it has value as a reaffirmation of our free speech rights. It has value as an act of defiance. It has value as people saying: look, we are not going to be shut up. When you tell us that we cannot draw pictures of Mohammed, when you tell us we cannot say these things or else you'll kill us, that just means that we're going to do it again and again to show that you cannot threaten Americans into submission. Also on The Kelly File , Alan Dershowitz said that "critics of Pamela Geller...should realize that while she may have intended to provoke

9520-586: The second largest telecommunications company in the world, is headquartered at the Whitacre Tower in downtown Dallas . ExxonMobil and McKesson , respectively the 2nd and 7th largest Fortune 500 companies by revenue, are headquartered in Irving, Texas . Fluor , the largest engineering & construction company in the Fortune 500, is also headquartered in Irving. In October 2016, Jacobs Engineering ,

9632-427: The shooting occurred, Hussain tweeted: " Allahu Akbar !!!! 2 of our brothers just opened fire". Just before the event was set to end at around 7:00   p.m., two men wearing body armor and equipped with three rifles, three handguns, and 1,500 rounds of ammunition drove up to a police car that was parked next to a barricade erected in front of the center. Seated inside the police car were Officer Gregory Stevens of

9744-434: 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." She also said that the shooting showed how "needed our event really was." The Chicago Tribune reported on August 1 that Soofi, despite his long rap sheet, purchased a 9mm gun in 2010 at Lone Wolf Trading Co., one of the private companies encouraged by

9856-506: 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

9968-607: The state (often referred to as Silicon Prairie or the Telecom Corridor , especially when referring to US-75 through Richardson , Plano and Allen just north of Dallas itself). This area has a large number of corporate IT projects and the presence of numerous electronics, computing and telecommunication firms such as Microsoft , Texas Instruments , HP Enterprise Services , Dell Services , Samsung , Nokia , Cisco , Fujitsu , i2 , Frontier , Alcatel , Ericsson , CA , Google , T-Mobile US , and Verizon . AT&T ,

10080-492: The state. In fact, only 38 percent of a survey group identified Dallas and Fort Worth as part of "North Texas", with the Texas Panhandle also a perceived correct answer, being the northernmost region of Texas. The United States Census Bureau determined the Metroplex encompasses 9,286 square miles (24,100 km ) of total area; 8,991 sq mi (23,290 km ) is land, and 295 sq mi (760 km )

10192-443: The students were non-Hispanic white. In 2000 27% of the students were Hispanic or Latino, but this increased to 37% by 2005. From 1997 to 2016 the number of non-Hispanic white students had declined by 65%. From 1997 to 2016 the number of students on free or reduced lunches, a way of classifying a student as low income, increased by 160%. In 2006 Teachers in the district carry, on average, 10 years of teaching experience and 12% of

10304-626: The suspects' car could contain an incendiary device; as a precaution, several nearby businesses were evacuated. Bomb units from the Garland Police Department, the FBI, the Plano Police Department, and the Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport were called to the scene. Police cordoned off a large area and at least three helicopters circled overhead. An officer in SWAT gear took the stage toward

10416-722: The teachers on staff are first-year teachers. 74% of the teachers hold bachelors , 24% hold master's , 1% hold doctorates , and less than 1% have no degree. 60% of students in the district took SAT / ACT standardized examinations with an average score of 1009 and 20, respectively. 23% of students took an AP and/or IB examination. 5 in Garland, 1 in Rowlett, 1 in Sachse Other 9 in Garland, 2 in Rowlett, 1 in Sachse 36 in Garland, 9 in Rowlett, 2 in Sachse 2 in Garland Curtis Culwell Center

10528-468: The television stations and most of the FM radio stations have chosen to transmit from Cedar Hill so as to serve the entire market, and are programmed likewise. There has been a rise in "80–90 move-ins", whereby stations have been moved from distant markets, in some cases as far away as Oklahoma, and relicensed to anonymous small towns in the Metroplex to serve as additional DFW stations. According to RadioTime ,

10640-407: The term metroplex is credited to Harve Chapman, an executive vice president with Dallas-based Tracy-Locke, one of three advertising agencies that worked with the North Texas Commission (NTC) on strategies to market the region. The NTC copyrighted the term "Southwest Metroplex" in 1972 as a replacement for the previously-ubiquitous "North Texas", which studies had shown lacked identifiability outside

10752-484: The top-ten largest Fortune 500 companies by revenue. The area continues to draw corporate relocation from across the nation, and especially from California . From late 2018 to early 2019, both McKesson and Charles Schwab announced they would be relocating from San Francisco to the DFW area. Later in 2019, San Francisco-based Uber announced a massive corporate expansion just east of downtown Dallas. Banking and finance play

10864-449: The two central cities of the Metroplex, with Arlington being a third economically important city; it is a center for sporting events, tourism and manufacturing. Most other incorporated cities in the Metroplex are " bedroom communities " serving largely as residential and small-business centers, though there are several key employers in these regions. Due to the large number of smaller, less well-known cities, Metroplex residents commonly divide

10976-414: The two major east–west interstates in the region ( I-20 , passing to the south of both downtowns, and I-30 , connecting Dallas and Fort Worth city centers). Business management and operations play a central role in the area's economy. Dallas and its suburbs have the third-largest concentration of corporate headquarters in the United States. Moreover, it is the only metro area in the country home to three of

11088-518: The winner of the cartoon contest, has received numerous death threats. The Southern Poverty Law Center plans to discuss the incident in its 2016 report on hate in the United States. In the wake of the attack, the Garland Independent School District announced it would begin reviewing its policy for hosting events at the Curtis Culwell Center. On May 29, 2015, protesters staging a "Freedom of Speech" rally outside of

11200-480: The year. July and August are typically the hottest months, with an average high of 96.0  °F (36  °C ) and an average low of 76.7 °F (25 °C). Heat indexes regularly surpass 105 °F (41 °C) at the height of summer. The all-time record high is 113 °F (45 °C), set on June 26 and 27, 1980 during the Heat Wave of 1980 at nearby Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport . Winters in

11312-508: Was "scary" and compared Geller to the cartoonists who were killed during the Charlie Hebdo shooting . Bret Stephens , columnist for The Wall Street Journal , put Geller's speech in the same category as Bill Maher or the writers of Charlie Hebdo — legitimate speech against Islamism — and commented, "I say Islamist because there is a rich history of Muslim depictions of Muhammad." He also added that "those [who] blame Geller for

11424-537: Was also the founder of a pro-ISIL hacker group called "CyberCaliphate", which was responsible for a cyber-attack on the United States Central Command 's Twitter account in January 2015. A week prior to the attack, Simpson mentioned the "First Annual Muhammad Art Exhibit and Contest" event in a tweet sent to what is believed to be Hassan's Twitter account. Simpson then asked, "When will they ever learn?", and Hassan responded: "The brothers from

11536-522: Was formally completed in August 2005. The arena seats up to 7,500 for concerts, basketball/volleyball games, and graduation ceremonies. The conference center seats 400 guests in the 8,000 square feet (740 m) ballroom for banquets and 140 guests in the tiered lecture hall. On February 26, 2016 during a presentation at Coyle Middle School, students held up signs saying, “Black Lives Matter,” “I Can’t Breathe,” and “The Whole System Is Guilty.” In response,

11648-405: Was found guilty of making a false statement regarding international and domestic terrorism, and was sentenced to three years 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. He

11760-437: Was higher than the state average in 2017, and its unemployment (3.6%) and poverty rate was lower. The median income for males was $ 52,492 and $ 44,207 for females. In 2019, the per capita income of DFW was $ 72,265. In 2010, the median income for a household in the metropolitan area was $ 48,062, and the median income for a family was $ 55,263. Males had a median income of $ 39,581 versus $ 27,446 for females. The per capita income for

11872-590: Was in communication with the attackers and present at the Culwell Center during the attack. When he saw the attack underway he attempted to flee and was promptly stopped at gunpoint by Garland police. On December 21, 2018, US District Court Judge Karen Gren Scholer dismissed Joiner's lawsuit on grounds of sovereign immunity . In an interview with Fox News Channel's The Kelly File , UCLA School of Law professor Eugene Volokh said [T]his kind of discussion has value in debate about Islam and about

11984-552: Was later rescheduled for October 6. On December 21, Abdul Kareem was also charged with conspiring to provide support to ISIL and attempting to attack the Super Bowl XLIX game. On March 17, 2016, Kareem was found guilty of conspiring with terrorists for helping the attack's perpetrators plan to carry it out. He was sentenced to 30 years in prison in February 2017. Kareem is serving his sentence at FCI Beaumont Medium , and

12096-578: Was of the late American Salafi imam Anwar al-Awlaki , who had repeatedly called for violence against cartoonists who insulted the Islamic prophet Muhammad prior to being killed in a U.S. drone strike in 2011 in Yemen. Junaid Hussain was identified as the ISIL propagandist whom Simpson recommended his readers to follow in that same tweet. Soofi's father, Azam Soofi, is Pakistani, and his mother, Sharon Soofi,

12208-627: Was offered for the winning cartoon, which was selected from among 350 submissions. The prize was awarded to Bosch Fawstin , a former Muslim and a critic of Islam who submitted six drawings, with the text "You can't draw me!"/"That's why I draw you." He was to collect an award of $ 12,500. Though images of Muhammad are not explicitly banned by the Quran , prominent Islamic views oppose human images , especially those of prophets. Such views have gained ground among certain militant Islamic groups. The event featured speeches by Pamela Geller , president of

12320-608: Was put on the U.S. federal No Fly List . He had previously intended to travel with others to Syria to fight with ISIL, though his accomplices were arrested during simultaneous FBI raids in San Diego and Minneapolis . Authorities had already opened an investigation of Simpson at the time of the attack. He also interacted with Junaid Hussain , a British-born hacker and member of ISIL, and Mujahid Miski , an Al-Shabaab recruiter and propagandist of Muslim extremism from Minnesota , via Twitter through "secure communication". Hussain

12432-453: Was the subject of an FBI investigation starting in 2006, during which he stated his intent to travel to Somalia and join fellow jihadists . He had ties to Hassan Abujihaad , a former United States Navy sailor arrested in Phoenix and convicted of terrorism-related charges. Abujihaad had been an occasional attendant of the Islamic Community Center of Phoenix. In May 2009, Simpson told an FBI informant, "I'm telling you, man, we can make it to

12544-505: Was twenty, he pleaded guilty to possession of alcohol by a minor. In March 2002, he pleaded guilty to alcohol-related reckless driving, followed by another guilty plea in June 2002 for driving on a suspended license. In 2003, he was charged for distributing a controlled substance and possessing drug paraphernalia, although the case was later dismissed. That same year in July, Soofi pleaded guilty to

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