Dallas police Chief Eddie García has vowed to take Deep Ellum for its residents and patrons following a Sunday shooting incident.
The Deep Ellum mass shooting occurred around 12:30 a.m. near the intersection of North Malcolm X Boulevard and Main Street and is one of several recent violent crimes in the popular entertainment district east of downtown.
Sunday’s Deep Ellum mass shooting led to the death of Kenneth Walker, 18, with another suspect in critical condition. The incident also saw four other female victims, ages thirty, twenty-five, twenty-one, and fifteen, injured, Dallas police said.
While speaking to The Dallas Morning News, Garcia said he and his department would not tolerate the rising violent incident in Deep Ellum.
“There’s not an entertainment district in any major city in America that isn’t susceptible to some violence,” García said. “And unfortunately, it occurs. But when it does occur, because of the fact that these areas are so populous, police departments need to respond in kind. So, that’s why we’re going to be more present.”
On Monday, García said the Dallas PD would reevaluate its plan to curb the violence in Deep Ellum this week and figure out where the police presence needs to be moving forward.
“For the time being, we certainly needed to have that presence in place and in place for the foreseeable future until we could figure out a more holistic plan and partnership with Deep Ellum and partnership with our council members to ensure that these issues don’t occur,” García said.
García added that Dallas PD’s goal in the community is for officers to make no arrest but also to send a message that “if you’re acting irresponsibly out there, that there will be eyes there to ensure you’re not.”
“I certainly don’t want people to think that they’re being over-policed,” the chief said.
Councilmember Jesse Moreno said in a written statement that larger crowds have come out to the area recently to support its cultural district. Moreno’s district includes Deep Ellum.
Moreno said he remains in constant communication with the Dallas PD and with bar and venue owners and the larger community to prevent violent crime.
“While the city of Dallas and Deep Ellum remain a welcoming community, we will not tolerate violence,” he said.