Two women were injured during an early morning shooting on Sunday in northwestern Dallas.
The shooting occurred around 3:20 a.m. near Harry Hines Boulevard at a corner store on Willowbrook Road in Council Member Omar Narvaez’s District 6, per Fox 4 KDFW.
One of the women was transported to the hospital by first responders with Dallas Fire-Rescue, while the other was taken to the hospital in a private vehicle.
Both individuals are said to have sustained injuries that are not life-threatening. Police have not indicated whether any arrest has been made at this time.
Parts of District 6 along Harry Hines Boulevard are notorious in Dallas for being hotbeds for prostitution and sex trafficking.
As previously reported by The Dallas Express, businesses in northwestern Dallas have been negatively impacted by the criminal activity outside their storefronts. Many business owners have installed security cameras, deadbolts, and gates around their properties to protect themselves and their customers.
It is not uncommon for business owners near Harry Hines Boulevard to arrive at work in the morning to find used condoms and tampons strewn about the parking lot.
In addition to the illicit sex trade, violent crime has also been a problem in District 6 neighborhoods.
In July of 2023, an alleged serial killer was arrested for the murders of three sex workers who worked the streets around Harry Hines Boulevard. The suspect, Oscar Sanchez Garcia, 25, also attempted to murder another woman in the area, but she narrowly escaped.
Garcia was charged with three counts of murder between April and July 2023.
Later that year, in August, an undercover Dallas police officer was shot while patrolling the area. A vehicle reportedly pulled up behind the officer, blocking him in. As the officer got out of his car, two suspects exited the vehicle behind him and began to shoot. One suspect got into the officer’s car and drove away.
Business owners attribute staffing issues within the Dallas Police Department and the City’s vague prostitution ordinance for allowing northwestern Dallas to become riddled with violent crime.
With only around 3,000 officers currently on the street, Dallas is far short of the 4,000 officers that a prior City analysis determined was needed to adequately police the jurisdiction.
Nevertheless, city leaders approved a budget of $654 million for DPD this fiscal year, much less than the sums allocated to law enforcement agencies in other high-crime cities, such as Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York City.