Father Patrick Zamarripa Is Identified by Family as Officer Killed in Dallas Sniper Shooting

Relatives of Zamarripa identified the man as one of the five officers killed in Thursday's police shooting in Dallas

Photo: Source: Patrick Zamarripa/Facebook

A second Texas police officer has been identified by relatives as one of the five cops slain in Thursday night’s sniper shooting during a Black Lives Matter protest in Dallas.

Family members of Patrick Zamarripa have taken to social media to post tributes to the officer who, they said, was fatally shot at the event.

“My son is a police officer in Dallas … my son was shot and killed by a sniper along with four other police officers,” Rick Zamarripa wrote in a Facebook post early Friday. “I’m still at the hospital here at Parkland Hospital to see him be moved to the medical examiner’s office.”

Zamarripa leaves behind a daughter and was the stepfather of a son.

Police said 12 officers were shot – five fatally – and two civilians were injured in the attack at the protest in downtown Dallas.

Before the shooting, police had described the event as peaceful, and one witness told PEOPLE the mood was light. Authorities have said the gunfire came from “elevated positions” near the protest route.

Dallas Area Rapid Transit officers were among the victims, and DART officials previously identified officer Brent Thompson, a 43-year-old newlywed, as one of the dead. Thompson was a seven-year veteran of the DART police department.

Three other DART officers injured in the shooting are expected to recover, DART said.

Authorities have not officially identified Zamarripa as one of the deceased.

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Another man, who called Zamarripa his step-brother, posted a string of messages on Twitter about the shooting.

“Keep my stepbrother in your prayers. He’s a Dallas cop and was at the rally. Parkland hospital called my parents to go to the hospital,” he wrote on Thursday.

The man later uploaded a Twitter photo of Zamarripa with a woman, writing, “Love you brother. Couldn’t be prouder. We’ll see you again. #PrayForDallas.”

Officials said that three suspects are in custody and another suspect died Thursday night when officers used a “bomb robot,” but the suspect did not kill himself. Officials have said they are not absolutely certain they have captured all suspects.

Dallas Police Chief David Brown described a tense standoff and hours of negotiating between officers and the suspect who died.

“The suspect said he was upset over Black Lives Matter. He said he was upset over the recent police shootings,” Brown said. “The suspect said he was upset at white people, he wanted to kill white people, especially white officers.”

He added: “Other options would have exposed our officers to grave danger.”

Brown also praised the heroism of officers Thursday.

“You see video footage after video footage of them running toward gunfire from an elevated position with no chance to protect themselves. And to put themselves in harm’s way, to make sure citizens can get to a place of security,” he said.

He added, “So please join me in applauding these brave men and women who do this job under great scrutiny under great vulnerability – who literally risk their lives to protect our democracy.”

Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings echoed that praise Friday, and said a group of interfaith ministers will lead a prayer vigil at 12 p.m. local time Friday at Thanksgiving Square.

The Black Lives Matter protest came as thousands across the nation were demonstrating against the deaths of a 37-year-old Louisiana man Alton Sterling and 32-year-old Philando Castile, who were recently killed by police officers.