New Clues Emerge about Dallas Sniper: 'This Wasn't Some Novice'

As peaceful protests continue across the country and families make funeral preparations for their loved ones, more clues are surfacing about the man who shot and killed five Dallas police officers.

Meanwhile in Minneapolis, the police officer who shot and killed a black driver during a traffic stop revealed why he was on edge before the shooting.

A lawyer for the officer says his client thought he was approaching someone who resembled an armed robbery suspect. If true, that could dramatically alter how investigators view the deadly traffic stop.

Still, some critics say the officer's argument has been inconsistent.

The news comes as Dallas investigators sort through massive amounts of evidence from the shooting that killed five officers. When they searched gunman Micah Johnson's home, they found a large stockpile of explosive material. Johnson, they say, knew what he was doing.

"One of the bomb techs called me at home to describe his concern of how large a stockpile of bomb-making materials he had – that this wasn't some novice," Dallas Police Chief David Brown said.

Johnson's family told The Blaze they did not know what their son was planning.

"I didn't see it coming," the shooter's father, James Johnson, said. "I love my son with all my heart. I hate what he did."

One trauma surgeon who treated the injured officers the night of the shooting said he can't forget what happened.

"That I was unable to save those cops when they came here that night -- it weighs on my mind constantly," Dr. Brian Williams said. "This killing, it has to stop."

And so many Americans agree with him.

Demonstrations in cities across the country Monday night were evidence of a nation on edge.

"People feeling hopeless, people feeling hopeful, people feeling disrespected," protester Jude Vincent said.

In Dallas, Chief Brown said protesters have no reason to target his city's police force.

He laid out a strong case that police shootings and excessive-force complaints have dropped dramatically under his leadership. He says if protesters want to see problems fixed, they need to be a part of the solution.

"Serve your community. Don't be part of the problem. We're hiring. We're hiring," he said.