Hanil Song (32), arrested as the main suspect in the Texas Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention center shooting, also trained members of far-left groups in armed combat, according to media reports citing prosecutors.
The Washington Post and New York Post, referencing findings from the investigation, reported on the 18th that some members of far-left organizations in the Dallas area received such training from Song. Song held weekly sessions with groups including the Elm Fork John Brown Gun Club and the Socialist Rifle Association, focusing on close-quarters combat and preparations for large-scale shootings.
The far-left organizations Song was affiliated with reportedly dissolved around 2023. Much of the training occurred at a taekwondo studio in Arlington operated by Song’s mother. Reports said that some suspects who trained under him also participated in violent protests during the 2020 Black Lives Matter (BLM, Black Lives Matter) demonstrations.
In an interview with the Washington Post on the 17th from federal prison, Song said, “I became attracted to socialist economic policies while attending University of Texas at Austin. I felt disillusioned with capitalism and the free-market economy.”
On July 4, Song and about 10 members of a far-left group, dressed in black military uniforms, opened fire on agents outside the ICE Prairieland Detention Center in Alvarado, Texas. A police officer was shot in the neck during the attack. Song was later placed on Texas’ Top 10 Most Wanted list and was arrested a week later.
Song has been indicted on charges of attempted murder of federal agents, discharge of a firearm in relation to violent crime, illegal firearm purchase, and terrorism. If convicted, he could face a life sentence.
BY HANKIL KANG [kang.hankil@koreadaily.com]
