--- description: Violence erupted at a Black Lives Matter protest when gunmen opened fire on police and civilians in Dallas on July 07, 2016. title: Scenes from Dallas as Peaceful Protests Turned to Horror image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltc41bbf6acc03fecc/69889b18fb4eac09a588e381/dallas-police-killings-protest-03.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [U.S.](/section/us/) ## U.S. Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # Scenes from Dallas as Peaceful Protests Turned to Horror by [TIME Photo](/author/time-photo/) and [Tara John](/author/tara-john/) Jul 8, 2016 1:38 PM CUT  A Dallas police officer, who did not want to be identified, takes a moment as she guards an intersection in the early morning after a shooting in downtown Dallas on July 8, 2016. A Dallas police officer, who did not want to be identified, takes a moment as she guards an intersection in the early morning after a shooting in downtown Dallas on July 8, 2016.LM Otero—AP by [TIME Photo](/author/time-photo/) and [Tara John](/author/tara-john/) Jul 8, 2016 1:38 PM CUT An ambush by snipers during a protest march in downtown Dallas killed five police officers and wounded at least seven others on Thursday night. Around [800 people had gathered for the Black Lives Matter](http://time.com/4397966/eyewitnesses-dalls-shootings-police-dead/ "undefined") protest march against the two separate shootings of black men over the past two days. Attendees of the rally described a convivial atmosphere, suddenly punctuated by the first shots at around 8:45 p.m. on Thursday. Speaking from Warsaw, Poland, where he is attending a summit of NATO leaders, U.S. President Barack Obama called the [shootings in Dallas](http://time.com/4397785/dallas-shooting-police-protest-snipers/?xid=homepage "undefined") a “vicious, calculated and despicable attack on law enforcement.” The identities of the attackers have not been released.  A Dallas Area Rapid Transit police officer receives comfort at the Baylor University Hospital emergency room entrance on July 7, 2016. Ting Shen—AP  Emergency responders administer care to a patient on a stretcher as law enforcement officials stand nearby at the emergency receiving area of Baylor University Medical Center, early Friday, July 8, 2016, in Dallas. Tony Gutierrez—AP  Dallas police officers and hospital staff form a line around the emergency entrance to Baylor Scott & White Hospital as a police officer's body is taken from the facility in Dallas on July 08, 2016. Ralph Lauer—EPA  A Dallas police officer, who did not want to be identified, takes a moment as she guards an intersection in the early morning after a shooting in downtown Dallas on July 8, 2016. LM Otero—AP  Dallas Police respond after shots were fired at a Black Lives Matter rally in downtown Dallas on July 7, 2016. Smiley N. Pool—AP  Emergency responder vehicles sit outside of the emergency room at Baylor University Medical Center on July 8, 2016, in Dallas. Tony Gutierrez—AP  Police attempt to calm the crowd as an arrest is made following a sniper shooting in Dallas on July 7, 2016. Laura Buckman—AFP/Getty Images  A man holds a bat reading "Black Power" during a protest in Dallas on July 7, 2016. Laura Buckman—AFP/Getty Images  Dallas police officers face protesters on the corner of Ross Ave. and Griffin Street after police officers were shot during a peaceful protest in Dallas,. Ralph Lauer—EPA  People rally in Dallas on Thursday, July 7, 2016 to protest the deaths of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile. Laura Buckman—AFP/Getty Images ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4397994/dallas-police-shooting-gallery-photos/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4397994/dallas-police-shooting-gallery-photos/"},"headline":"Scenes from Dallas as Peaceful Protests Turned to Horror","datePublished":"2016-07-08T13:38:43.000Z","dateModified":"2026-05-11T04:50:27.382Z","description":"Snipers targeting police killed five and injured more in the Texas city. 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