Officials identify gunmen who attacked Dallas Prophet cartoon exhibition

The suspected gunmen who attacked an event that was exhibiting the cartoons of Prophet Muhammad near Dallas have been identified, authorities said.

Officials named the suspects as Elton Simpson and Nadir Soofi. An FBI official said that agents were searching an apartment in Phoenix, Arizona, where Simpson allegedly lived. He had also been probed previously on suspicion of terrorism offences, reported the BBC.

The two gunmen drove to the Muhammad Art Exhibit in the Dallas suburb of Garland as the exhibition was ending and opened fire at two officers in a car park. They were shot dead after one of the officers, a traffic policeman, returned fire.

Garland police official Joe Harn said that the security officer who was with him was shot in the lower leg. He was treated in a hospital and then released.