A family is looking for answers after apparently random gunfire struck and killed a grandmother standing inside her kitchen Sunday night in Dallas.
Paula Rivera, a vivacious 72-year-old, was found shot inside her home located in the 3700 Block of Marfa Avenue at around 8:30 p.m. on October 15. First responders from Dallas Fire-Rescue took her to a nearby hospital, where she eventually died from her injuries.
Rivera’s family said the two shots came through a window while she was cooking dinner.
“No one expected something like this to happen to her, especially in our home making food for our family,” explained Ayla Zaragoza, the victim’s granddaughter, according to NBC 5 DFW.
The tight-knit family is reeling from the shocking event.
“I can’t live life without her. I’m so attached to her. So attached to her,” said Maria Becerra, the victim’s daughter, according to Fox 4 KDFW. “My son is so attached to her. He kept screaming, ‘Don’t leave me! I need you! Please don’t leave me. I need you!’”
Investigators from the Dallas Police Department are actively investigating the incident, and anyone with information about the shooting is asked to contact them in reference to case No.185139-2023.
“They’re like, ‘We’re working on it, we’re getting footage,’” Becerra said. She explained that an outdoor party had been going on in the neighborhood that night, adding that random gunfire was nothing new.
“It hasn’t been the first time,” she told NBC 5. “They’ve done it before where they’ve shot from corner to corner at each other.”
The incident occurred in District 4, which is represented by Council Member Carolyn King Arnold. The area has seen a 7.6% increase in overall crimes logged this year as of October 19 compared to those seen last year during the same period, according to data from the City’s crime analytics dashboard.
Citywide, the rates of murder and non-negligent homicide have risen 12.7% year over year, from 181 to 204.
As recently reported in The Dallas Express, a police shortage has dampened DPD’s ability to rein in violent crime. The department maintains a force of fewer than 3,200 sworn personnel, roughly 800 less than the 4,000 recommended by a City analysis.
Meanwhile, the city districts seeing the highest rates of crime are concentrated in the area of Downtown Dallas. Districts 2, 6, 7, and 14 are represented by Council Members Jesse Moreno, Omar Narvaez, Adam Bazaldua, and Paul Ridley, respectively. They have logged 9,912, 10,334, 7,875, and 8,483 offenses, respectively.
By contrast, the downtown area of neighboring Fort Worth sees considerably lower rates of crime. It is reportedly patrolled by a special neighborhood police unit working in conjunction with private security guards.