A 66-year-old Dallas man shot and killed a homeless man Sunday after a confrontation over a parked car, then told police he retrieved his gun not for self-defense but for “confidence.”
Charles Reeder was charged with murder after flagging down officers at the scene.
Officers found Dagoverto Rodriguez, 60, with a gunshot wound to his abdomen on the 1800 block of Jeffries Street at 5:10 p.m. The shooting occurred on a sidewalk near the Austin Street Center homeless shelter.
Rodriguez died at Baylor University Medical Center at 6:32 p.m. Reeder called 911 after shooting Rodriguez, admitting he was the gunman.
Two witnesses told police Rodriguez was sleeping near Reeder’s white Lexus when the confrontation began. After Reeder demanded Rodriguez move away from his vehicle, Rodriguez relocated about 10 feet.
Reeder confronted Rodriguez again, punching him multiple times before pulling out a handgun. He shot Rodriguez once in the abdomen, according to witnesses.
One witness said Rodriguez had nothing in his hands. There was no reason for the shooting, the witness told investigators.
Reeder offered a different account during his police interview. He claimed Rodriguez punched him repeatedly, causing him to briefly lose consciousness. But Reeder’s next admission proved damning. He told detectives he retrieved a .45-caliber handgun from his car’s glove box after regaining consciousness.
He wasn’t seeking protection. Reeder said he got the gun for “confidence” to confront Rodriguez again, concealing it in his pants.
Reeder told police that he could have walked away and called 911. Instead, he admitted feeling angry after being “insulted.”
Reeder acknowledged swinging at Rodriguez before shooting him. Police found a single shell casing at the scene and recovered the weapon from Reeder’s vehicle.
The gun had been reported stolen in 2024. Reeder, who was trying to access the Austin Street Center shelter, had been sleeping in his car nearby.
He suffered minor cuts and facial bruising during the altercation. Police took him to a hospital before booking him into Dallas County Jail.
The investigation remains ongoing. Detective Adam Joslin asks anyone with information to contact him at 214-649-2790 or [email protected].