Garland shooting: FBI warned police of suspicions about alleged gunman three hours before attack

Event had many police and security guards in place

Elton Simpson has been named as one of the two gunmen who attacked the Curtis Culwell Centre arena in Garland

The Federal Bureau of Investigation warned police in Texas that Elton Simpson – the man accused of attacking a community centre – had expressed interest in the event taking place there just three hours before he launched his assault.

CNN said that FBI Director James Comey said Thursday that a bulletin had been set to police in Garland about the interest Mr Simpson had expressed on social media. It is said that just hours later, that Mr Simpson and roommate Nadir Soofi arrived in a car and opened fire.

“I know there are other Elton Simpsons out there,” Mr Comey told reporters in Washington.

It had been anticipated that the event, which featured a collection of images of the Prophet Mohamed, would be controversial and a large number of police and security guards had been drafted in to provide protection.

Pamela Geller, President of the American Freedom Defence Initiative, a group whose campaigns have previously been accused of insulting Islam, said the intention of the event was to show her group would not “submit to violent intimidation”.

Her event included an exhibition of caricatures of Mohamed with a $10,000 prize for the best image. Most Muslims consider any images of Mohamed to be forbidden. The event was also addressed by a right-wing Dutch politician Geert Wilders.