Five defendants pleaded guilty in Fort Worth to providing material support to terrorists for their roles in a July 4 attack outside the Prairieland Detention Center that wounded an officer. Prosecutors say the group fired shots and set off fireworks toward the facility; three were arrested soon after, while two are accused of helping the alleged shooter avoid capture until July 15. Each faces up to 15 years in prison, and related prosecutions are ongoing.
Five Plead Guilty to Terrorism-Related Charge After July Shooting Outside Texas Detention Center
Five defendants pleaded guilty in Fort Worth to providing material support to terrorists for their roles in a July 4 attack outside the Prairieland Detention Center that wounded an officer. Prosecutors say the group fired shots and set off fireworks toward the facility; three were arrested soon after, while two are accused of helping the alleged shooter avoid capture until July 15. Each faces up to 15 years in prison, and related prosecutions are ongoing.
11:01 AM, 11/20/2025Security
Five people pleaded guilty Wednesday in federal court in Fort Worth to a terrorism-related charge tied to a July 4 shooting that injured a police officer outside the Prairieland Detention Center near Dallas.
Federal prosecutors say the defendants supported a cell they described as linked to antifa and that the incident involved gunfire and fireworks aimed at the detention facility. The Justice Department brought the charges after an order from President Donald Trump that labeled the decentralized movement commonly called antifa as a domestic terrorist organization.
Guilty pleas and potential sentence
Nathan Baumann, Joy Gibson, Seth Sikes, Lynette Sharp and John Thomas each pleaded guilty to one count of providing material support to terrorists. Under federal law, that conviction carries a potential sentence of up to 15 years in prison at sentencing.
Sharp’s attorney, Erin Kelley, said the plea is “step one in a long process” before a final sentence is determined. Lawyers for the other defendants did not immediately comment.
What happened the night of the attack
According to court filings, a member of the group outside the detention center yelled, “get to the rifles,” then opened fire as officers responded. An Alvarado Police Department officer was struck in the neck area; he fell but was able to return fire. Prosecutors allege additional rounds were fired at the wounded officer and at an unarmed Department of Homeland Security correctional officer.
Authorities say Gibson, Baumann and Sikes were present the night of the shooting and were arrested shortly afterward. Sharp and Thomas are accused of helping the alleged shooter evade arrest until July 15. Cases against other individuals charged in connection with the shooting remain pending.
Context
The shooting occurred amid a surge in deportation operations under the Trump administration. Days later, officials reported a separate attack at a U.S. Border Patrol facility in McAllen, Texas, where an assailant fired dozens of rounds, wounding a police officer before agents shot and killed the attacker.
Note: Antifa — short for "anti-fascists" — refers to a loose, noncentralized network of groups and individuals who oppose fascism, white supremacy and related ideologies; it is not a single formal organization.