Ten individuals were shot and several others were injured outside an event venue in South Dallas on March 19, according to authorities.
Dallas Police stated that officers responded around midnight to reports of gunshots at The Space Dallas, located in the 5200 block of Botham Jean Boulevard near U.S. Route 175.
The gunfire occurred outside the venue and was considered a drive-by shooting. The incident prompted police to issue a citywide assist call, meaning that any available officers were dispatched to the scene.
Eight individuals were hurt at the venue, and two more were transported to a hospital later, police confirmed to WFAA. The victims were between the ages of 15 and 21.
According to a police update on Monday, roughly 1,000 people in total were gathered both inside and outside the building for an event.
“It was a large scene,” Dallas PD spokesperson Kristin Lowman said. “There were a lot of [first responders] there to make sure the scene was secure and to get all those people the medical attention they needed.”
The victims of the attack were standing in line outside the venue and were apparently not the intended targets of the shooting.
One victim, an 18-year-old, was taken to the hospital in critical condition, police said in an update. According to officials, nine others in stable condition were sent to various hospitals nearby.
Witness Joe Morgan told WFAA he was working crowd control for a spring break party at the venue when the shooting began. According to him, the suspects were among a group who attempted to gain entry to the party but became outraged when security searched them and tried to seize their guns.
He added, “They just got in their car and started shooting.”
Morgan stated that he witnessed several persons firing high-powered weapons.
“The kids were from here to the corner down there, and when the shooting started, everyone started running through the gate and trampled us,” Morgan explained.
Some of the injuries to victims resulted from the rush to escape the gunfire.
For most of the morning on March 20, a block of Botham Jean Boulevard near the site was blocked off.
Police cars and uniformed policemen could be seen throughout the area.
More than seventy police markers were placed to indicate evidence and shell casings, interspersed between multiple shoes and hats that littered the venue’s lawn and the parking lot of the convenience store next door. Detectives collected over thirty casings from the site.
No arrests have been announced, and the police have given no information about the suspects.
The Dallas Police Department said on Twitter that detectives would like to interview the occupants of “a gray Dodge Charger, a white over black Ford Crown Victoria, and an unknown black sedan,” shown in video footage.
Anyone with video or information about the shooting may contact Dallas Police Detective Alec Lopez at [email protected] or 214-671-3658. Please refer to case No. 048526-2022.
