Dallas Gunman Drilled in His Yard, Learned to 'Shoot and Move'

Micah Johnson attended private self-defense school, learned tactics
By Newser Editors and Wire Services
Posted Jul 10, 2016 8:03 AM CDT
Dallas Gunman Drilled in His Yard, Learned to 'Shoot and Move'
A flag flies at half-staff over Dealey Plaza, Saturday, July 9, 2016, in Dallas. After five police officers were killed in a shooting Thursday, a city forever haunted by the assassination of John F. Kennedy is trying to not let the worst America attack on police since Sept. 11 define it again.    (Eric Gay)

The gunman who killed five police officers at a protest march had practiced military-style drills in his yard and trained at a private self-defense school that teaches special tactics, including "shooting on the move," a maneuver in which an attacker fires and changes position before firing again. Micah Johnson, an Army veteran, received instruction at the Academy of Combative Warrior Arts in the Dallas suburb of Richardson about two years ago, said the school's founder and chief instructor, Justin Everman. Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings described Johnson as "a mobile shooter" who had written manifestos on how to "shoot and move." Authorities have said the 25-year-old gunman kept a journal of combat tactics and had amassed a personal arsenal at his home, including bomb-making materials, rifles, and ammunition, reports the AP.

The academy website refers to one of its courses as a "tactical applications program," or TAP. "Reality is highly dynamic, you will be drawing your firearm, moving, shooting on the move, fixing malfunctions, etc. all under high levels of stress," the website says. The TAP training includes "shooting from different positions," ''drawing under stress" and "drawing from concealment." More recently, a neighbor reported to investigators that Johnson had been seen practicing some sort of military drill in his backyard. Tensions were still high as the Dallas police department tightened security Saturday evening after receiving an anonymous threat. Earlier, President Obama called Johnson a "demented individual" who does not represent black Americans any more than a white man accused of killing blacks at a church in Charleston, SC, represents whites. "So we cannot let the actions of a few define all of us," Obama said. (More Micah Johnson stories.)

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