The family of a man they described as quiet, kind, and full of hope continues to reel from his loss after he was fatally shot in the back in Downtown Dallas last month.
Justin Allen, 28, was running a diagnostics test on his vehicle when someone shot him from behind in the 200 block of Prather Street at approximately 6:30 p.m. on January 13. His mother, 63-year-old Dorothy Claiborne, told The Dallas Morning News that he called her but barely managed to tell her that he had been shot and was on the way to the hospital before the call ended. He died shortly thereafter.
The Dallas Police Department’s investigation into Allen’s murder is still ongoing and no arrests have been made. The apparent lack of progress made in the case has frustrated his family and left them with too many unanswered questions.
“We can’t understand what happened, why he’s gone,” Claiborne told DMN. “I know he wasn’t perfect, but I don’t know anybody he had a problem with or who had a problem with him.”
Yet Allen’s loved ones want him to be remembered for who he was: a daredevil, a “jack-of-all-trades,” and a good Samaritan.
“I feel robbed,” said Que Allen, Allen’s longtime girlfriend. “That was my Superman and they just took him away from me.”
The victim had wanted to open an automotive shop but was putting his mechanic skills — learned from his father, who died of pancreatic cancer in 2020 — to use as a handyman in the meantime.
“It’s not just another name or just another person who’s gone, whose life was taken by gun violence,” said Allen’s cousin, Dietric Alexander. “He’s somebody who had dreams, hopes, and aspirations.”
Anyone with information about Allen’s murder is urged to call Detective Joshua Romero at 214-671-4226 or contact him by email at [email protected].
Downtown Dallas has become a hot spot for crime in large part due to a significant staffing shortage within DPD. The department fields just around 3,000 officers, whereas a City report called for 4,000 to ensure public safety.
Allen’s murder happened in Council Member Paul Ridley’s District 14, which comprises the downtown area together with Jesse Moreno’s District 2. Compared to Fort Worth’s city center, which is patrolled by a dedicated police unit and private security officers, Downtown Dallas regularly logs significantly more criminal activity, especially assaults, drug crimes, and auto theft.
Citywide, there have been 27 homicides committed in 2024, according to the DPD’s crime analytics dashboard. While this represents a 12.9% dip from the year prior, a 15% bump in homicides was logged in 2023 compared to 2022.
DPD has a budget of just $654 million this year, with City officials deciding to spend much less taxpayer money on law enforcement than other high-crime jurisdictions, such as Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York City.
