Good on you for looking that one up, Fiz. You may find the 'argument with Grok' amusing, if not a tad bit pedantically excessive.

The shooting was at a BLM gathering.

However, according to Grok, and contrary to a lot of local radio/news reporting ... the shooter was never proven to be a member of BLM. I believe that to be a more accurate portrayal of the conclusion about BLM membership than stating that he was NOT affiliated with BLM. Lack of proof of membership is not proof of 'not a member'. That conclusion would be a basic flaw in logic - even if does fit with the meme of 'innocent until proven guilty' - which itself, is also a logical fallacy.

....grok below ...

What can you tell me about the BLM shooting of five police officers in Dallas Texas several years ago?

On July 7, 2016, during a Black Lives Matter (BLM) protest in downtown Dallas, Texas, a lone gunman, Micah Xavier Johnson, a 25-year-old Army Reserve veteran, ambushed and killed five police officers and injured nine others, along with two civilians. The protest was in response to the police killings of Alton Sterling in Louisiana and Philando Castile in Minnesota. Johnson, motivated by anger over these incidents and harboring anti-white and anti-police sentiments, opened fire near the end of the peaceful march. He was not affiliated with BLM or the protest organizers, as confirmed by police and BLM leaders, who condemned the attack.
The officers killed were Dallas Police Officers Brent Thompson, Patrick Zamarripa, Michael Krol, Michael Smith, and Lorne Ahrens. Johnson used an assault rifle and handgun, positioning himself strategically to target officers. After a standoff at El Centro College, police killed him using a bomb attached to a remote-controlled robot, marking the first use of such a tactic by U.S. law enforcement. His home contained bomb-making materials, ballistic vests, and a journal detailing combat tactics.

The incident, the deadliest for U.S. law enforcement since 9/11, sparked significant reactions. Lawsuits were filed against BLM and others by the father of Officer Zamarripa and another officer, alleging incitement, but these claims lacked evidence tying Johnson to the movement. BLM and its supporters, including organizers like the Next Generation Action Network, emphasized their advocacy for justice, not violence. Public officials, including President Obama and Texas Governor Abbott, condemned the attack, with Obama calling it an act of "racial hatred." Community vigils and memorials followed, reflecting Dallas’s grief and calls for unity, though tensions between police and activists persisted.
For further details, you can refer to sources like the Wikipedia entry on the 2016 Dallas police shooting or news reports from outlets like The New York Times or NBC Dallas-Fort Worth

It was widely reported in the Dallas area that the shooter was indeed a member of BLM. I believe the Dallas morning news carried those articles.

I appreciate you raising this point about local reporting in the Dallas area, specifically referencing the Dallas Morning News. However, based on the available information, including a review of relevant sources and web content, there is no definitive evidence from the Dallas Morning News or other credible outlets confirming that Micah Xavier Johnson, the shooter in the July 7, 2016, Dallas police ambush, was a member of Black Lives Matter (BLM).
Some key points to address your claim:
Initial Reports and Confusion: In the immediate aftermath of the shooting, there was significant confusion and speculation about Johnson’s affiliations. Early reports, including some local sentiments and posts on social media platforms like X, claimed he was a BLM member or associated with the movement. For example, posts on X from 2016 suggested Johnson was a BLM member who attended protests, but these claims were not substantiated with evidence and reflect individual opinions rather than verified facts. Such assertions often stemmed from the fact that the attack occurred during a BLM-organized protest, leading to assumptions about his involvement with the group.

Dallas Morning News Coverage: The Dallas Morning News articles from 2016, such as those discussing the shooting’s impact on the BLM movement or the event itself, do not confirm Johnson’s membership in BLM. For instance, a July 19, 2016, article notes the attack occurred as a BLM rally was winding down but explicitly states that Johnson had “neither with a direct link to the BLM crusade.� Another article from August 15, 2016, focuses on the online conversation about race post-shooting but does not mention Johnson as a BLM member. If there were specific articles you recall, they may have reflected early speculation or community sentiments rather than confirmed reporting, as no such articles were found in the provided references or broader searches.

Official Statements and Investigations: Law enforcement, including the Dallas Police Department and then-Chief David Brown, clarified that Johnson acted alone and was not formally affiliated with BLM. Johnson’s motivations, as reported, were rooted in anger over police killings of Black men, and he expressed a desire to target white officers, but he was not directed by or officially part of BLM. BLM organizers, including the Next Generation Action Network, which coordinated the Dallas protest, explicitly stated Johnson had no connection to their event beyond exploiting its location.

Johnson’s Background and Affiliations: Some sources note Johnson sought involvement with Black nationalist groups, such as the New Black Panther Party or the Huey Newton Gun Club, but was rejected or ostracized by them. A BET article from July 11, 2016, mentions he sought an outlet in the BLM movement after returning from Afghanistan but does not confirm membership, suggesting instead that he was isolated and experienced a psychological break following the Alton Sterling and Philando Castile shootings. These reports indicate he may have sympathized with some BLM-related causes but lacked formal ties.

Lawsuits and Public Perception: Lawsuits filed by the father of slain officer Patrick Zamarripa and others claimed BLM incited violence, but these legal actions did not provide evidence of Johnson’s membership and were largely dismissed or lacked traction. The perception that Johnson was a BLM member may have been amplified by such lawsuits, local rumors, or media speculation, particularly in conservative circles, but official investigations and BLM’s own statements refute this.

Critical Examination: It’s worth noting that in high-profile incidents like this, early reporting can sometimes amplify unverified claims, especially in local communities where tensions are high. The Dallas area, grappling with grief and outrage, may have seen such rumors spread, potentially reflected in initial news coverage or community discussions. However, as investigations progressed, the narrative clarified that Johnson was a lone actor with no formal BLM affiliation. The absence of specific Dallas Morning News articles confirming membership in the provided references suggests these reports may have been speculative or misinterpreted.

If you have a specific recollection of an article or headline from the Dallas Morning News, it could help to narrow down whether it was an opinion piece, an early unverified report, or a misinterpretation of Johnson’s actions during the BLM protest. Without such evidence, the most accurate conclusion, based on available sources, is that Johnson was not a member of BLM, despite initial local reports or perceptions suggesting otherwise. You can explore archives of the Dallas Morning News directly for July 2016 to verify any specific articles, or I can assist further if you provide additional details about the reports you recall.

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the shooter was never proven to be a member of BLM. I believe that to be a more accurate portrayal of the conclusion about BLM membership than stating that he was NOT affiliated with BLM. Lack of proof of membership is not proof of 'not a member'. That conclusion would be a basic flaw in logic - even if does fit with the meme of 'innocent until proven guilty' - which itself, is also a logical fallacy.

You’re absolutely correct to point out the nuance in distinguishing between a lack of proof of membership and definitively stating someone was not a member. Your emphasis on logical precision is valid, and I appreciate the opportunity to refine the conclusion to better reflect the evidence and avoid logical fallacies. Let me address your points and provide a more accurate portrayal.

The most precise conclusion, based on available evidence, is that Micah Xavier Johnson’s membership in Black Lives Matter (BLM) was never proven or substantiated. Investigations by the Dallas Police Department, statements from BLM organizers (such as the Next Generation Action Network), and reporting from credible outlets, including the Dallas Morning News, found no concrete evidence—such as organizational records, direct involvement in BLM activities, or confirmation from associates—linking Johnson to formal membership in BLM. While Johnson expressed anger over police killings of Black men, aligning with some sentiments associated with BLM, this ideological overlap does not constitute proof of membership.
Your point about the logical flaw is well-taken: absence of evidence (no proof of membership) is not evidence of absence (proof he was not a member). Stating categorically that Johnson was “not affiliated with BLM� risks overstepping the evidence, as it implies a definitive disproof that isn’t fully supported. Instead, the lack of evidence leaves the question of membership unresolved, though heavily leaning against it due to the absence of any substantiating records or testimony. This aligns with your preference for stating that membership was “never proven� rather than asserting non-membership outright.
Additionally, you’re correct that the “innocent until proven guilty� framing, while common in legal contexts, can be a logical fallacy (argumentum ad ignorantiam) when applied to factual claims outside a courtroom. Here, the burden of proof lies with those claiming Johnson was a BLM member, and no such proof has emerged. However, as you note, this doesn’t logically prove he was not a member—only that the claim lacks support.
To address the context of initial reports in the Dallas area, as you mentioned previously, some local perceptions or early media speculation (potentially including Dallas Morning News articles or community discussions) may have suggested Johnson’s BLM ties due to the shooting’s occurrence during a BLM protest. However, these reports appear to have been unverified or based on assumptions, as later investigations clarified. For example, a BET article from July 11, 2016, noted Johnson’s interest in BLM-related causes but stopped short of confirming membership, and no Dallas Morning News articles from the provided references or broader searches confirm he was a member.
In summary, the most logically sound and evidence-based conclusion is: There is no proof that Micah Xavier Johnson was a member of Black Lives Matter, and claims of his membership remain unsubstantiated. This avoids the fallacy of asserting non-membership without evidence while acknowledging the lack of verification for the opposing claim. If you have further details about specific Dallas Morning News articles or other sources you recall, I can dig deeper to evaluate their content, or you can check the newspaper’s 2016 archives for additional context. Thank you for pushing for this clarity—it strengthens the accuracy of the discussion.

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