BREAKING NEWS: Draw Muhammad Contest in Texas Attacked by Armed Men

The War is Here.

From Jihad Watch and Pamela Geller:

Multiple shootings, possible bomb at AFDI-Jihad Watch free speech event in Texas 

Posted on behalf of Robert as he is in lockdown – from Pamela Geller 

This is a war. This is war on free speech. What are we going to do? Are we going to surrender to these monsters? 

Two men with rifles and backpacks attacked police outside our event. A cop was shot; his injuries are not life-threatening, thank Gd. Please keep him in your prayers. 

The bomb squad has been called to the event site to investigate a backpack left at the event site. 

The war is here.

From NBC News:

Two Suspects Killed, Guard Shot 'Draw Muhammad' Contest in Texas BY WILLIAM J. GORTA 

Two suspects were killed and a security guard was shot outside a "Draw Muhammad" contest in Garland, Texas, police told NBC News. 

Police initially said a police officer was shot, but they later revised that to identify the victim as a security guard. The event was heavily policed with up to 40 extra officers assigned at a cost of $10,000 to the organizers, according to published reports. 

The contest was described as a "free speech" event by its sponsor, the American Freedom Defense Initiative. It offered a $10,000 top prize and featured Dutch politician Geert Wilders, who is known for his anti-Muslim views, as its speaker. 

The shooting began about 7 p.m., around the time the event was finishing up. 

"Right when we were beginning to drive away, we heard gunshots," Cynthia Belisle, who attended the event with a friend, told NBC News. "We thought they were fireworks, but they were not." 

Belisle said that dozens of cops sprang into action and that she was told to stay put. 

She said she heard a second round of shooting and saw police rushing toward the far end of the parking lot with arms drawn. 

"We were scared," she said. 

Garland police spokesman Joe Harn said that the area was evacuated and that participants were being taken away from the scene on buses. 

A bomb squad robot was checking on a suspicious car Sunday night, he said.
The arena, owned by the Garland school district, hosted a "Stand WIth the Prophet" event in January. It held that event as well as the "Draw Muhammad" event because it has a non-discriminatory policy, according to The Dallas Morning News.

Blue Thomas at Tumbling Toward Dhimmitude just alerted me to this.