Texas attack gunman long monitored

Islamic State may be seizing opportunity to claim credit for deadly shooting incident

Federal agents for years monitored one of the two gunmen who were shot dead after opening fire with assault rifles at a heavily guarded Texas exhibit of caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad.

Two government sources who asked not to be named said the gunmen were roommates Elton Simpson and Nadir Soofi of Phoenix. Court documents show Simpson had been under surveillance since 2006 and was convicted in 2011 of lying to FBI agents over his desire to join the violent jihad in Somalia.