It's been a day of mourning for all of North Texas as Dallas police officer, Darron Burks, was shot and killed in Oak Cliff. We are continuing to learn more about this heroic officer and the situation that unfolded.https://t.co/FWKQk7GOjx pic.twitter.com/fDzU7kuIsS
— CBS News Texas (@CBSNewsTexas) August 31, 2024
Julia James, Kelli Smith, Amber Gaudet and Arcelia Martin
The Dallas Morning News
The suspect who fatally shot a Dallas police officer and wounded two others Thursday night was identified as Corey Cobb Bey, 30, two police officials confirmed to The Dallas Morning News.
The suspect was shot and killed by Dallas police in Lewisville in the 1000 block of Stemmons Freeway after a chase, according to a news release from Dallas police.
More than 20 units responded about 10:10 p.m. to an assist officer call in the 900 block of East Ledbetter Drive, near South Marsalis Avenue, according to an online police call log.
Dallas police spokeswoman Kristin Lowman said responding officers found an officer, later identified by family as Darron Burks, who had been shot in his marked patrol vehicle. Officers exchanged gunfire with a suspect, and two other officers were shot, Lowman said.
In an interview with The News, Dallas Deputy Mayor Pro Tem Adam Bazaldua said he was told surveillance video showed Burks was killed while in his patrol car and had no interaction with the shooter beforehand. He said it appeared to be a “completely senseless act.”
LaDarrian Brooks, 39, who identified himself as Cobb Bey’s older brother, said Cobb Bey was shot and killed Thursday and confirmed he was the suspect in this case.
“The whole family is floored,” Brooks told The News. “Our family … we would like to deeply, deeply apologize to the families that were involved in this situation because it’s a tragic, tragic situation.”
References to ‘end times’
In social media posts, Cobb Bey repeatedly mentions the “end times” and refers to himself as a “Moor,” a reference to the Moorish Science Temple of America.
Cobb Bey’s last Instagram post also detailed that he was searching for the nearest Moorish Science Temple of America in Dallas.
The movement is based on the premise that African Americans are descendants of the Moabites originating from the Moroccan Empire. The religion incorporates Islamic teachings with teachings of personal transformation and racial pride.
The Anti-Defamation League has noted some overlap between the Moorish Science Temple and Sovereign Citizens, which the FBI considers an anti-government extremist group. Sovereign citizen ideology dates back to the 1970s, when it was first dreamed up by white supremacists intent on defying the nation’s laws.
The sovereign citizen movement’s ideology teaches that a shadowy group secretly took over the U.S. government during the 19th century and has been using financial contracts to enslave Americans. Some followers in the past have resorted to violence, including murdering law enforcement officers.
The ADL has reported that the biggest gains in the movement have occurred among Black Americans, some of who identify as Moorish sovereign citizens, or Moors, who insist they were America’s first inhabitants. The ADL also notes not all Moorish Science Temple followers are affiliated with the Moorish sovereign citizen movement, and vice versa.
Display of weapons
In an Aug. 6 Instagram reel, Cobb Bey displays a 9-mm handgun and a semiautomatic 12-gauge shotgun. Police said in a statement that the suspect exited his vehicle with a long gun just before being shot by Dallas officers.
A video posted four days ago shows Cobb Bey approaching officers in a parked, unmarked SUV and asking them if there’s “any problem.”
Cobb Bey quotes both the Holy Koran of the Moorish Temple and the New International Version of the Bible in the caption.
”A good death is better than an evil life; strive therefore, to live as long as (thou) oughtest, not as long as though canst,” Cobb Bey captioned the video.
Cobb Bey shared many of his religious and moral beliefs through his music. Cobb Bey has released six albums and several singles and EPs since last year, with titles like “Divine Poet,” “Resurrection” and “Kingdom Business.”
Cobb Bey worked as a commercial truck driver, according to posts on his TikTok.
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(Dallas Morning News staff writer Pavan Acharya contributed to this report.)
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