Dallas Prophet cartoon attack: Suspected gunmen 'named'

Authorities have identified the suspected gunmen who attacked an event in Dallas exhibiting cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad, US media say.

Officials have named them as Elton Simpson and Nadir Soofi, according to the New York Times and the Washington Post newspapers.


Agents were searching an apartment in Phoenix, Arizona, where Simpson reportedly lived, an FBI official said.

Two gunmen were shot dead after opening fire outside Sunday's event.

Simpson had been previously investigated on suspicion of terrorism offences, several reports said.

They drove to the Muhammad Art Exhibit in the Dallas suburb of Garland as the event was ending, firing with assault rifles on two officers in a parking lot.

One of the officers, a traffic policeman, returned fire and killed both the gunmen, Garland police official Joe Harn said. The security officer who with him was shot in the lower leg. He was treated in hospital and then released.

"Obviously they were there to shoot people," Mr Harn said.

This story was first published on CNN WEBSITE.