A Dallas church could be subject to a lawsuit and fined as much as $2,000 by the City after an April 2 concert on its property ended with one man dead and sixteen others injured.
The concert where 26-year-old Kealon Gilmore was fatally shot was estimated to have had about 2,000 attendees. Deputy Chief Terrence Rhodes said Monday that all but one of the sixteen injured had been released from the hospital.
In the aftermath of the tragedy, police revealed the event’s promoters had failed to obtain a permit. St. John Missionary Baptist Church owns the property located in the 5000 block of Cleveland Road in the Oak Cliff section of Dallas. The lawsuit could prevent the property owners from holding future events there.
On Monday, the Dallas City Council held a public safety meeting. Dallas Police Chief Eddie García suggested the City boost the fine for hosting an event without a permit from the current amount of $500 to $2,000.
“We need to come up with something that has teeth,” García said. “The bottom line is we’re going to have irresponsible promoters that want events. It’s about supply and demand, and we need to ensure that those that have the supply are a little bit more afraid to offer that up.”
Seven off-duty Dallas police officers were working security at the concert, but left around 11 p.m at the end of their shift. The gunfire occurred just 30 minutes after the officers’ departure. Police recovered thirty-six shell casings.
García said department supervisors approved the officers to work off-duty at the event. The policy has changed, and all officers must confirm an event is authorized before working there off-duty. A department major was appointed to oversee communication about off-duty appointments.
García also noted department officials are looking at the criminal and administrative aspects of the incident “to see what [they] could’ve done better and where [they] failed.”
The process for obtaining a permit could also change in the wake of the shooting. Council members spoke about the need for streamlining the process, as some promoters have complained that it takes too long.
Terrance Hopkins, who oversees the Dallas Police Special Events Unit, said police ideally prefer to have applications for event permits 90 days in advance. The shortest timeframe allowed is 30 days because all permits must go through code compliance and Dallas Fire-Rescue.
Hopkins added that people often avoid getting a permit because hiring off-duty officers are expensive. When promoters apply for a permit, they are told how many officers they will need for their expected crowd size.
García added that the police department would clarify which events require a permit on its website.
In addition to the possible lawsuit and a steep fine, both St. John Missionary and the event promoter could also be subject to an additional penalty from the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission. According to City Councilmember Cara Mendelsohn, alcohol was served at the event.
Councilmember Tennell Atkins, whose district includes the location where the shooting took place, said the property had been used illegally in the past.
Police recovered twenty-two stolen vehicles at the property last August. Police cited the property owner for having a vehicle crusher, but no arrests have been made in connection to the stolen automobiles.
Atkins hypothesized that the property’s past ties with illegal activities may have discouraged them from seeking a permit.
The April 2 shooting came just 10 days after the March 22 shooting in South Dallas at The Space Dallas. In that incident, one person died and nine others were injured during a spring break party.
Like the Oak Cliff shooting, the promoters did not have a permit. That led to an estimated crowd of more than 1,000 people inside and outside the venue.
“If we don’t take a firm stance, I think this is going to continue at lots of other locations,” Councilmember Mendelsohn said.
According to García, no arrests have been made in either case.
