The Dallas Police Department is investigating a murder that took place early Monday morning at a 7-Eleven convenience store and gas station in North Oak Cliff, just walking distance from Sunset High School.
Dallas police responded to a shooting call on June 19 at about 6 a.m. in the 400 block of N. Hampton Road.
When officers arrived at the scene, they found a gunshot victim, according to a news release.
Officers conducted a preliminary investigation and determined that an unknown black male suspect had shot the victim.
The victim, later identified as 54-year-old Nathaniel Ogbolu, was transported to a local hospital, where he died from his injuries.
The Dallas Express was on hand at the scene of the crime, and the mood was somber among employees.
When asked if they were allowed to comment, one employee told The Dallas Express they were not and therefore could not confirm if the victim was an employee.
Dallas police, however, have confirmed that Ogbolu was working the register at the time of the shooting.
The suspect “entered the store and pointed a gun at the victim, and demanded money from the register,” according to the news release.
Before the victim could open the register and give the suspect the money, however, the suspect apparently opened fire on Ogbolu, shooting him several times.
The suspect also shot at a witness but missed, according to police.
He then fled the scene on foot.
The investigation remains ongoing.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective David Grubbs at 214-671-3675 or by email at [email protected].
The incident took place in District 1, which is represented by Dallas City Council Member Chad West.
Although the convenience store will remain closed, customers will still be able to fill up at the pump using the outside payment system.
During the school year, the store is frequented by high school students from nearby Sunset High School.
The Dallas Police Department continues to fight violent crime while facing a significant shortage of officers. The department is presently some 400-500 officers short of what is needed to fight crime, according to Mike Mata, president of the Dallas Police Association.
Last fall, a dedicated police unit was created for Deep Ellum, which is common in crime hotspots, especially downtown areas. Fort Worth uses such a unit alongside private security guards, and the Houston Police Department maintains a special unit called the Downtown Division.
“I’ve been going to downtown Fort Worth since my college years, and I’ve never felt unsafe,” said Alexis Maldonado, a resident of Fort Worth, speaking to The Dallas Express. “There’s actually a pretty good police presence every time I go out.”
The City of Dallas has been unable to provide reliable crime statistics, allegedly due to a ransomware attack, which is still causing a “service outage.” However, available data from the Dallas crime analytics overview dashboard shows that 3,078 reports of aggravated assault were documented year-to-date through the end of April.
