Attempted Murder of a Federal Officer; Discharging a Firearm During, in Relation to, and in Furtherance of a Crime of Violence
A twelfth individual has been charged for his role in the shooting of an Alvarado police officer at the Prairieland Detention Center, announced Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Nancy E. Larson.
According to a criminal complaint filed today, Benjamin Hanil Song, a former United States Marine Corps reservist, joined ten others in an organized attack against officers at the Prairieland Detention Center just after 10:30 p.m., Friday, July 4.
The complaint alleges that group was dressed in black military style clothing. The group began shooting fireworks towards the detention center. Some then sprayed graffiti on vehicles and a guard structure in the parking lot at the facility. Correctional officers called 911 to report suspicious activity. An Alvarado police officer responded to the scene and, upon exiting his vehicle, the officer was shot in the neck by a defendant positioned in nearby woods. Another alleged assailant across the street fired 20 to 30 rounds at unarmed correctional officers who had stepped outside the facility.
As alleged in the complaint, Song purchased four of the guns that were found in connection with the shooting. Two AR-style rifles were found at the scene, which records show were purchased by Song. One of the abandoned rifles at the scene had a binary trigger, used to "double" a regular rate of fire, allowing a shooter to fire more rapidly than a standard semiautomatic gun. Police also recovered additional firearms in searches of residences and vehicles, including another AR-15 style rifle in the back of a van driven that night by Bradford Morris, who was charged in a separate complaint on Monday. Song also purchased that rifle, according to court documents. Joy Gibson—also charged in Monday's complaint—had a pistol in her backpack when apprehended. Records show that Song purchased this firearm in October 2024.
Ten assailants charged in Monday's complaint fled from the detention center but were apprehended by additional responding law enforcement officers. Song, however, was not located by law enforcement officers that night. As alleged, the location data associated with Song's cellular telephone indicates that his phone was located within several hundred meters of the Prairieland Detention Center from late in the evening of July 4, 2025, until after dark on July 5, the day after the shooting. Additionally, the complaint alleges that on July 6, a white Mercedes Benz registered to a relative of Song was found on the same block of Bradford Morris's residence. A DFW Airport camera captured an individual—believed to be Song—driving the Mercedes on May 23, 2025
Song has been charged by federal complaint with three counts of attempted murder of federal agents and three counts of discharging a firearm in relation to a crime of violence. The ten others charged with these offenses in Monday's complaint include Cameron Arnold, Savanna Batten, Nathan Baumann, Zachary Evetts, Joy Gibson, Bradford Morris, Maricela Rueda, Seth Sikes, Elizabeth Soto, and Ines Soto. The FBI has deemed Song a wanted individual and advises that he should be considered armed and dangerous. As described in the attached notice, the FBI is seeking the public's assistance in Song's apprehension.
Acting U.S. Attorney Nancy E. Larson praised the tireless efforts of all federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies involved in this case to date. "The swift response of nearly 70 law enforcement officers to the site of the shooting hemmed in several of the attackers," said Acting U.S. Attorney Nancy E. Larson. "The quick action and professionalism of our state and local law enforcement officers in the immediate aftermath of the shooting resulted in the prompt capture of ten of the assailants. Though Song escaped the scene by hiding overnight, he will be relentlessly pursued until he is in custody."
"Benjamin Hanil Song is wanted by the FBI for his connection to the violent assault that occurred at the Prairieland Detention Center. He is considered armed and dangerous, and we ask that the public contact law enforcement immediately if he is seen," said FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock. "We are committed to apprehending Song and are offering a reward of up to $25,000 for information leading to his arrest and conviction. If you have any information, please call 1-800-CALL-FBI or you can submit a digital tip to fbi.gov\prairieland."
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation of criminal conduct, not evidence. Like all defendants, Song is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. If convicted, he faces a minimum penalty of ten years in federal prison and a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI—Dallas, Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Enforcement and Removal Office (ICE ERO), ATF, the Texas Department of Public Safety, the Alvarado Police Department, and the Johnson County Sheriff's Office. Links are below to the FBI Wanted Notice for Song, and the Criminal Complaint filed.
