Announcing on its radio station on Tuesday, the Islamic State militant group claimed responsibility for the Sunday attack at the Draw Muhammad art event at the Curtis Culwell Center, saying that “Two of the soldiers of the caliphate executed an attack on an art exhibit in Garland, Texas, and this exhibit was portraying negative pictures of the Prophet Mohammed.”

In its first ever claim of an attack on American soil, the group continued saying, “We tell America that what is coming will be even bigger and more bitter, and that you will see the soldiers of the Islamic State do terrible things.”

It is unknown by U.S. officials investigating the case, if the two men, 31-year-old Elton Simpson and 34-year-old Nadir Soofi, carried out the attack on behalf of IS or if they acted on their own. One of the men, Simpson had been under surveillance since 2006 for his pro-Islamic activities.

The two men, clad in body armor and wielding assault rifles, pulled up to the center and opened fire on a patrol car parked in front of the entrance, where the event was coming to a close. Initially, a police officer had returned fire, but it is believed that members of a SWAT team took out the two men shortly after.

The two attacker’s remains would be left where they were gunned down through the night and eventually be removed at approximately 11 am on Monday. Their vehicle would stay on the scene until Monday night before it was towed away.

Simpson, who worked at a dentists office, had a previous encounter with the law and was convicted in 2010 for lying to FBI agents  about his intentions to travel to Africa to join a terrorist group in Somolia.

There are less details about Soofi other than he was the owner of a pizza/hot wings restaurant.

  attack, contest, curtis culwell center, draw muhammad, elton simpson, event, garland, nadir soofi, Texas