Two separate shootings were reported in Dallas on Saturday, resulting in two deaths and one injury.
Police responded to the first shooting around 3 p.m. The incident occurred in Council Member Omar Narvaez’s District 6 in the 2600 block of Kenesaw Drive in western Dallas.
“The preliminary investigation determined when officers arrived, they found 53-year-old Santos Chavez shot. [Dallas Fire-Rescue] responded and the victim died. The investigation is ongoing, and the case will be referred to a Grand Jury. The incident will be documented under case number 167134-2023,” said the Dallas Police Department on its crime blog.
The second shooting also took place in District 6, along the 2600 block of North Stemmons Freeway southbound, just across from the Medical District. Police arrived at the scene around 8:30 p.m.
“The preliminary investigation determined when officers arrived, they found a man shot inside a vehicle stalled in the left lane of traffic and a woman shot on the shoulder of the freeway. Both victims were taken to a local hospital. The man died from his injuries and the woman is in critical condition,” said DPD.
Police have not released the identity of the murder victim yet, pending family notification.
The shooting resulted in the temporary closing of all southbound lanes on that stretch of I-35. Texas Department of Transportation cameras reportedly captured footage of vehicles being directed off the freeway at Inwood Road until at least 10 p.m., according to The Dallas Morning News.
Police are encouraging anyone with information about the shooting to contact Det. Joshua Romero at 214-671-4226 or [email protected].
A report by DPD indicates that there have been 179 murders committed in Dallas as of September 16, marking a 7.8% increase over the number of murders logged in the same period last year. However, it is currently unclear whether the two murders that recently occurred in District 6 were included in the figure.
DPD has been struggling to keep murders down amid an ongoing staffing shortage. The department currently maintains a force of fewer than 3,200 sworn officers. A City report previously advised that Dallas needs about 4,000 on staff.
Downtown Dallas has been especially affected by the shortage, regularly logging higher crime rates than Fort Worth’s downtown area. The latter is reportedly patrolled by a dedicated neighborhood police unit and private security guards.