Manhunt Ends: Prairieland Detention Center Shooter Arrested in Dallas

Manhunt Ends: Prairieland Detention Center Shooter Arrested in Dallas
Benjamin Song

DALLAS, TX – The weeklong manhunt for Benjamin Hanil Song, an alleged participant in a July 4th ambush at the Prairieland Detention Center, has concluded with his arrest by FBI agents in Dallas. This marks the fourteenth arrest in the ongoing investigation, announced Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Nancy E. Larson.

Song, a 42-year-old former United States Marine Corps reservist, has been federally charged with three counts of attempted murder of federal agents and three counts of discharging a firearm in relation to a crime of violence.

Details of the Alleged Attack

According to court documents, Song and ten other individuals allegedly launched an organized attack on officers at the Prairieland Detention Center just after 10:30 p.m. on Friday, July 4. The group, reportedly dressed in black military-style clothing, began by firing fireworks towards the facility and spraying graffiti on vehicles and a guard structure in the parking lot. These actions were allegedly designed to lure correctional officers outside.

After correctional officers called 911 to report suspicious activity, an Alvarado police officer responded. Upon exiting his vehicle, the officer was shot in the neck by a defendant positioned in nearby woods. Another alleged assailant from across the street reportedly fired 20 to 30 rounds at unarmed correctional officers who had stepped outside the facility.

Fourteen Arrests Made

Ten others were charged with the same offenses as Song in a July 7th complaint: Cameron Arnold, Savanna Batten, Nathan Baumann, Zachary Evetts, Joy Gibson, Bradford Morris, Maricela Rueda, Seth Sikes, Elizabeth Soto, and Ines Soto.

Also on July 7, Daniel Rolando Sanchez Estrada was charged with obstruction of justice for allegedly concealing evidence related to the ambush after speaking with Rueda, who was already in custody.

More recently, on July 14, John Thomas and Lynette Sharp were charged with accessory after the fact, as law enforcement determined they helped Song evade arrest and abscond from the Prairieland area.

Song’s Alleged Role and Evasion

The complaints allege that Song purchased four of the guns associated with the ambush. Furthermore, defendants reportedly used Signal Chat groups to plan the attack and share reconnaissance, including an image of the Prairieland Detention Center identifying the locations of six local police departments.

While ten of the assailants charged in the July 7th complaint were apprehended at the scene, Song managed to evade immediate capture. Location data from Song’s cellular telephone indicates his phone was within several hundred meters of the Prairieland Detention Center from late evening on July 4 until after dark on July 5, the day after the shooting.

Law Enforcement Responds

“After the immediate apprehension of Song’s coconspirators at the scene, the FBI and our federal prosecutors—together with our other law enforcement partners—worked tirelessly around the clock pursuing Song. Their tremendous efforts culminated in the arrest of this alleged violent criminal today,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Nancy E. Larson. “Though Song escaped by hiding overnight after the attack, we were confident he would not remain hidden for long. The fourteen individuals who planned and participated in these heinous acts will be prosecuted, and we expect justice will be swift.”

FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock emphasized the commitment to protecting law enforcement: “The FBI has worked tirelessly to arrest everyone associated with the shooting at the Prairieland Detention Center. We would like to thank all the entities that publicized this case and assisted in our efforts to successfully locate Benjamin Song. His arrest is the result of our determination to protect not only the community, but also our law enforcement partners that were the targets of a coordinated attack. We have said it before, the FBI will not tolerate acts of violence toward law enforcement and will thoroughly investigate anyone that commits these types of offenses.”

Investigation Continues

The investigation was conducted by the FBI—Dallas, Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Office (ICE ERO), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Texas Department of Public Safety, the Alvarado Police Department, and the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nancy E. Larson is prosecuting the case.

A criminal complaint is merely an allegation of criminal conduct, not evidence. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. If convicted, most of the charged defendants face a minimum penalty of ten years in federal prison and a maximum penalty of life imprisonment. Those charged with obstruction of justice and accessory after the fact face a maximum of ten years and fifteen years in federal prison, respectively.