In the aftermath of five police officers gunned down in the streets of Dallas Thursday night, the next phase of the investigation will focus on answering key questions about the professional nature of the attack carried out by the four alleged suspects.
Experts say the attack showed planning — including escape routes — and tactical expertise.
Malcolm Nance, an intelligence veteran and terror analyst for NBC/MSNBC, tweeted this early Friday:
Retired FBI special agent Steve Moore told
CNN that the attack required advance work.
"This was an attack planned long before — waiting for an opportunity to go," Moore told CNN. "I think there was so much logistically, ammunition-wise. They may not have planned the location, they may not have planned the vantage point. But they had prepared for an attack before last night's shooting is my guess."
Dallas Police Chief David Brown echoed a similar sentiment during one of his early-morning press briefings when he told reporters the snipers were perched in "elevated positions."
"How would you know to post up there?" Brown said. "We have yet to determine whether or not there was some complicity with the planning of this, but we will be pursuing that."
Sean Parnell, Co-Founder of the American Warrior Initiative and best-selling author, tweeted this Friday morning:
Nance also tweeted his belief the shooters had no intention of getting caught.
But the one common theme from all the experts that took to Twitter - the shooters knew what they were doing, which would imply training.
Tweeted Marine Corps veteran Thomas Gibbons-Neff:
And Parnell: