Two other suspects were taken into custody after fleeing the scene in a black Mercedes. An officer saw one of the pair hurriedly putting a camouflage bag in the back of the car before driving off ‘at a high rate of speed’.

A female, who was in the same area as Johnson, was also taken custody, however Brown said: ‘We still don’t have complete comfort that we have all the suspects.’

Johnson reportedly fired from an ‘elevated position’, picking off officers ‘ambush style,’  Police Chief David Brown said, suggesting that the shooter had some tactical background. ‘Some officers were shot in the back,’ he added.

Army officials said Johnson was a soldier in the reserves and had served a tour of duty in Afghanistan. Pictures on Facebook suggest that Johnson’s father, James, was also in the military.  While he professed a hatred for white people in his last words to a hostage negotiator, it appears his step-mother was white. Donna Ferrier Johnson, a teacher for Dallas schools, proudly shared pictures of her step-son in uniform to her page.

Nevertheless, Johnson’s activity online suggest he became interested with black militant groups. On Facebook, he identified himself as a black nationalist, and his profile picture shows him wearing a dashiki and holding a clenched first in the air like a Black Panther member.

He also liked pages for several pages related to the Nation of Islam, the Black Riders Liberation Party, the New Black Panther Party and the African american Defense League.

The Daily Beast reports that Johnson also used to attend a gym called Academy of Combar Warrior Acts, which teaches weapons classes in addition to the traditional martial arts selection.

Gym CEO Justin Everman spoke out to the Daily Beast, saying many of hte gym’s members are police officers and ‘we have completely no affiliation with [Johnson] whatsoever.’

Johnson wasn’t the only person in his family to have developed a distrust for law enforcement. In the days leading up to the shooting, his sister Nicole wrote several posts about her frustration at the tense relationship between police and the African-American community.

‘Man on life itself im beginning to trust law less n less. Come a yr from now everybody will need a gun for protection. Why is it the black get the harsh treatment like damn. Makes me so mad. When he decide we had enough n fight back smhh…’ she wrote on July 6, responding to the death of Alton Sterling.

DART Officer Brent Thompson (left) was the first officer to be named as having been killed in the shootings. Another dead police officer was named by his family as young father Patrick Zamarripa (center); while a third was Michigan native Michael Krol

Twelve police officers were shot in the shooting and five killed. Two bystanders were also shot and injured. Above, police investigators walk the scene of the shooting Friday morning

A crime scene investigator looks a shot out windows after a shooting in downtown Dallas, Friday, July 8, 2016. Snipers opened fire on police officers in the heart of Dallas during protests over two recent fatal police shootings of black men

Law enforcement sweep the area after a shooting in downtown Dallas, Friday, July 8, 2016. At least two snipers opened fire on police officers during protests in Dallas on Thursday night; some of the officers were killed, police said

An investigator walks the scene of a shooting in downtown Dallas, Friday, July 8, 2016. Snipers opened fire on police officers in the heart of Dallas during protests over two recent fatal police shootings of black men

Noelle Hendrix places flowers near the scene of a shooting in downtown Dallas, Friday, July 8, 2016. Snipers opened fire on police officers in the heart of Dallas during protests over two recent fatal police shootings of black men

Dallas Police Chief David Brown (pictured) said his department and profession as a whole is ‘hurting’ after Thursday night’s massacre

A gunman named Micah X. Johnson was killed after a four-hour standoff with police. Before being killed, he told a hostage negotiator that he wanted to kill white police officers. Above, a police officer lies stricken next to cop cars

Before noon on Friday, police were gathering outside the address of the shooter’s mother Delphene in Mesquite, Texas

Before the dead suspect was taken out with a police bomb, he also warned that there were other IEDs hidden around the city. Cops say they have conducted a thorough search however, and believe that the city is safe. 

Chief Brown said they used a police robot to drop off and detonate the bomb near the suspect so as to prevent further police casualties.

‘We saw no other option than to use our bomb robot and place a device on its extension to detonate where the suspect was,’ Brown said, adding that, ‘other options would have exposed our officers to grave danger.’

Previous reports alleged that Johnson had actually killed himself, but Brown said that these were not true.

A gruesome video shows a heroic policeman taking on a suspect, but being gunned down and shot again execution-style from point-blank range.

In an emotional statement before going into detail about the shooting, Brown said that the mass shooting had left his department ‘hurting’.

‘Our profession is hurting. Dallas Officers are hurting. We are heartbroken. There are no works to describe the atrocity that occured to our city. All I know is that this must stop. This deviseveness between our plice and our city,’ Brown said.

He also drew attention to the many witness videos that showed brave police officers running towards the shooting – thinking not of themselves but the safety of the crowds at large.

The police chief went on to say that he and many of his officers don’t feel ‘much support’ from the public on ‘most days’.

‘Let’s not make today most days. Please, we need your support to be able to protect you from men like these who carried out this tragic tragic event. Pray for these families,’ he said.

In a statement from Warsaw, Poland where he is at a NATO summit, President Obama expressed his ‘deepest condolences to the American people’, and warned that he still didn’t know all of the facts of the massacre.

‘They were on duty doing their jobs, keeping people safe during peaceful protests… they were targeted and nearly a dozen officers were shot,’ President Obama said.

‘I believe I speak for every American, when I say we are horrified and stand united with the police department in Dallas.’

President Obama confirmed the FBI is working with Dallas police and said ‘anyone involved will be made accountable… justice will be done.’

He urged the nation to remember to ‘express our profound gratitude for our men and women in blue’.

The shootings have sparked more racial tension in America and mark the deadliest day for U.S. law enforcement since the 9/11 attacks, when 72 officers died in the line of duty. Americans in major cities nationwide took to the streets on Thursday night to demand answers over the killings of Castile and Sterling.

The DART officer killed, Brent Thompson, joined the department in 2009 and is the first officer to be killed in the line of duty since 1989 when DART (the Dallas public transportation network) formed a police department.

Morgan Lyons, a spokesman for DART, said: ‘As you can imagine, our hearts are broken.’

‘This is something that touches every part of our organization. We have received countless expressions of support and sympathy from around the world through the evening. We are grateful for every message. Thank you.’

One video showed the moment a brave officer confronted a gunman. In the still above, the officer (right) is seen trying to duck for cover behind a cement post. However, the gunman takes the officer down and is seen pumping another shot into his dead body before fleeing the scene.

A Dallas Area Rapid Transit police officer receives comfort at the Baylor University Hospital emergency room entrance after the shooting

Police block streets in downtown Dallas early as law enforcement investigate the scene of Thursday’s fatal shooting, Friday, July 8, 2016. Snipers opened fire on police officers in the heart of Dallas Thursday night, during protests over two recent fatal police shootings of black men

 

It is not known if the shooter or shooters were protesters, however they appear to have been militarily trained with long guns. In an interview with the Today show Friday morning, Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings said it appeared their motive was to target police officers. 

‘Our worst nightmare has happened,’ Rawlings said in another statement. ‘It is a heartbreaking moment for the city of Dallas.’

A second police officer killed in the attack has been identified by his family as Patrick Zamarripa.

A man who claims to be his stepbrother, Dylan Martinez, said on Twitter that Zamarripa was ‘one of the young Dallas police officers killed this evening’.

‘No father should have to bury his son. You are a hero, Patrick. Love you man,’ he said.

On Zamarripa’s social media profile there are pictures of his young daughter and he describes himself as ‘addicted to the thrill of this job’.

‘I own the night. I love my Country, Texas, Family, God, Friends, and Sports! Don’t Tread on Me! ‘Merica,’ his bio says.

High alert: Dallas Police officers were also seen stopping a motorist at gunpoint from leaving downtown Dallas in a white SUV

Dallas Police officers shield bystanders after shots were fired in the middle of what had been a peaceful rally in the Texas city

The shooting started at 8.45pm as hundreds of protesters marched through Dallas demanding justice for two black men shot dead by police earlier this week.

Mayor Rawlings said that in total, 12 police officers were shot Thursday, in addition to two bystanders.

Five of the police officers were killed, but only two have yet to be identified. All five of the casualties were male cops.

The names  of three of the injured DART officers have been revealed asOmar Cannon, 44; Misty McBride, 32; and Jesus Retana, 39. They are expected to recover from their injuries.

Officials said that two of the injured officers – including McBride, a mother who was shot in the shoulder – were female.

One of the two injured bystanders was also a woman, mother-of-four Shetamia Taylor, was shot in the calf as she shielded her children, hiding her 15-year-old son under a car.

The rest of the killed and injured have yet to be identified. 

The shooting started at 8:45pm as hundreds of protesters marched through Dallas demanding justice for two black men shot dead by police earlier this week. 

Horrifying footage shows peaceful protesters chanting ‘hands up, don’t shoot’ before suddenly scattering as shots were fired near Belo Garden Park.

Another video captures semi-automatic gunfire ringing out, with dozens of shots heard as people scream and run for cover.

The gun who was killed  – wearing tactical gear and a bulletproof vest – was hunkered down in a garage earlier on Thursday evening and engaged cops in a shootout before he was detained, a police source told Fox 4.

A horrific video taken on a cell phone by a terrified Dallas resident shows a heroic policeman trying to shoot one of the gunmen.

The officer is seen ducking behind a pillar but being shot by the gunman, who then stands over the cop and pumps another bullet into him.

Police Chief Brown said that it appeared the shooter or shooters ‘planned to injure and kill as many officers as they could’.

The suspects ‘have threatened to plant a bomb in the downtown area’, Brown added.

A man, named as Mark Hughes, who was pictured walking through Dallas with what appeared to be an assault rifle, has been released from custody after he turned himself into police when cops made a public appeal and his family said he was an innocent bystander.

Mr Hughes said he was released from police custody after a 30 minute interrogation. The shocked ‘bystander’ told KTVT: ‘I can’t believe it. The crazy thing about it was I was down here, I couldn’t get to my vehicle because of the roadblock and at hindsight 20/20 I could easily have been shot.’

Mr Hughes was unaware that his face was being plastered over the internet as a suspect in the shooting.

‘I didn’t know. We received a phone call that my face was on there as a suspect and immediately I flagged down a police officer,’ Mr Hughes said.

‘I was talking to police laughing and joking with police officers,’ he added.

During his 30 minute interrogation Mr Hughes claimed officers ‘lied’ and said the had video of him shooting and that they had witnesses ‘saying I shot a gun’.

‘At the end of the day the system was trying to get me,’ he claimed.

Mr Hughes said he has not yet received an apology. His attorneys said he has received thousands of death threats.

‘Now you have my face on national news are you going to come out and say this young man had nothing to do with it?,’ he asked.

‘We’ve been getting death threats. All I know is there was nothing just going on and there was a persecution on me unrightly and they need to do something about it.’

Flights are being re-routed around Dallas overnight, the FAA said, and delays and cancellations from local airports are expected.

Most of downtown Dallas is expected to be closed down tomorrow, with workers warned to ensure their offices are open before heading into the city.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott offered ‘whatever assistance the City of Dallas needs at this time’.

‘In times like this we must remember – and emphasize – the importance of uniting as Americans,’ he said.

The search for the gunmen stretched throughout downtown, an area of hotels, restaurants, businesses and some residential apartments. The scene was chaotic, with helicopters hovering overhead and officers with automatic rifles on the street corners.

‘Everyone just started running,’ Devante Odom, 21, told The Dallas Morning News. ‘We lost touch with two of our friends just trying to get out of there.’

Carlos Harris, who lives downtown, told the newspaper that the shootings ‘were strategic. It was tap tap pause. Tap tap pause’.

Hundreds of people had marched through Dallas peacefully earlier on Thursday, demanding justice for Alton Sterling and Philando Castile, who were shot dead by police.

Police officers were seen shielding bystanders as they tried to evacuate the streets.

Former Republican Congressman Joe Walsh caused outrage when he tweeted that the Dallas killings ‘mean war’.

Mr Walsh said, in a tweet that has now been deleted, ‘3 Dallas cops killed, 7 wounded. This is now war. Watch out Obama. Watch out black lives matter punks. Real America is coming for you.’

After receiving a wave of criticism on social media, he clarified: ‘I wasn’t calling for violence, against Obama or anyone. Obama’s words & BLM’s deeds have gotten cops killed. Time for us to defend our cops.’

The shootings came as thousands of people attended demonstrations against police brutality across America, with marches taking place in New York, Atlanta, Philadelphia, Chicago and Washington DC, as well as in Louisiana and Minnesota – where Sterling and Castile were killed.

The huge swell of protests is in response to the shootings of Sterling and Castile, who were shot by police in Louisiana and Minnesota respectively. 

Sterling, a street seller in Baton Rouge, was tackled to ground by officers after a 911 call was made – allegedly by a homeless man – about a black man who had flashed a firearm.

Officers Howie Lake and Blane Salamoni pinned the father-of-five down before firing six shots at Sterling, who had a gun in his pocket but did not appear to make any attempts to take it out during the confrontation.

Sterling was on probation and should not have been carrying a weapon. It is not clear which of the two officers – who are now on administrative leave – fired the shots.

It also emerged that Lake was previously suspended for his involvement of the shooting of another black man in December 2014.

There were claims of an attempted cover-up after police seized CCTV footage from the store where Sterling was shot, however it is now understood that the footage will be handed over to federal investigators.

The store’s owner, Abdullah Muflahi, said the video and his entire surveillance system was taken without a warrant.

He recorded a separate, gruesome video of the incident on his cell phone and told Daily Mail Online that he feared police would attempt to seize his phone and delete the evidence.

When asked why he had not handed over the cellphone film, he said: ‘I did not show them. When the cop was getting up, I put my phone away because I knew they were going to take it away.

‘The truth had to come out. I did hold back from giving it to anybody for the first few hours till I had got my lawyers.’

Castile was shot by an officer in St Paul, Minneapolis, on Wednesday after his car was stopped for a routine traffic stop.

His girlfriend, Diamond Reynolds, insisted that police had stopped them for a busted tail light, which she claims wasn’t even busted, and that Castile told the officer he had a firearm on him and a license, before the cop began shooting ‘for no reason’.

She livestreamed the moments after the shooting on Facebook, showing Castile dying in the front of the car as blood seeped from his chest.

Hundreds of people gathered in Times Square and Union Square in New York on Thursday to protest against the shootings, with tensions bubbling over. Dozens of other protests were also held across the country over the two men’s deaths.

Also voicing her anger was Beyonce, who paused her show in Glasgow, Scotland, to display names of police brutality victims.

In an open letter, the Lemonade singer said: ‘We are sick and tired of the killings of young men and women in our communities.  It is up to us to take a stand and demand that they “stop killing us”.

‘We don’t need sympathy. We need everyone to respect our lives.

‘We’re going to stand up as a community and fight against anyone who believes that murder or any violent action by those who are sworn to protect us should consistently go unpunished.’

The furious demonstrations came as President Obama called for calm, but pleaded with police officers to treat minorities equally.

Obama yesterday said the recent spate of shootings was ‘not just a black issue’, saying all Americans should be troubled by black and Hispanic people being killed by cops.

‘We have seen tragedies like these too many times,’ a somber Obama said.

‘When incidents like this occur, there’s a big chunk of our fellow citizenry that feels as if – because of the color of their skin – they are not being treated the same. And that hurts. And that should trouble all of us.

‘This is not just a black issue. It’s not just a Hispanic issue. It’s an American issue. All fair-minded people should be concerned.’

Governor of Minnesota Mark Dayton also joined the calls for change, launching a startling  attack on ‘racism’ in the police, saying he does not believe that Castile would have been shot dead on Wednesday if he was white.

Gov Dayton said there was ‘every indication’ that police conduct in the shooting of Castile, a black man, was ‘way in excess’ of what the situation warranted.

‘Would this have happened if the driver and the passengers were white?’, asked Mr Dayton. ‘I don’t think it would have.

‘This kind of racism exists and it’s incumbent on all of us to vow that we’re gonna do all that we can to see that it doesn’t continue to happen.’

Read more at: dailymail.co.uk