A rifle-wielding man identified as a “suspect” in the deadly sniper assault on Dallas police officers has been released from custody, Dallas CBS station DFW reported early Friday.
Mark Hughes was seen wearing a camouflage T-shirt and carrying a rifle at Thursday night’s protest of recent police killings of African-American men when at least four snipers opened fire on officers, killing five of them and injuring six others and one civilian.
Shortly after the shootings, Dallas Police sent out a tweet of Hughes, the brother of protest organizer Cory Hughes, identifying him as a suspect.
“That’s my little brother, that’s not the suspect,” Cory Hughes told CBS. “When people started shooting, I found my little brother and I made him give his gun to an officer.”
Mark Hughes did turn himself in to authorities. According to CBS DFW, he was released from custody shortly after 1 a.m. on Friday.
Witnesses on social media seemed to corroborate Hughes’ claims that he was not involved in the shooting.
The "suspect" In Dallas can be seen in this video NOT shooting! I think this is not the guy. pic.twitter.com/kRt45w7JdP
— TimMorehouse (@TimMorehouse) July 8, 2016
https://twitter.com/CharlesPulliam/status/751274673166430214
Here was the Dallas police department’s initial tweet.
Three suspects were in custody and a fourth was exchanging gunfire with police officers, Dallas Police Chief David Brown said early Friday morning, adding that the fourth individual has told negotiators he hopes to hurt more cops.
None of the suspects have been identified at press time.