DALLAS — Dallas police Chief Eddie García joined city leaders and community organizers Wednesday to denounce violence and advocate for more unity and accountability after a shooting at an outdoor concert in southeast Oak Cliff this weekend that killed one person and wounded 16 others.
Speaking at a news conference, the chief repeated calls to crack down on people who promote events that don’t have a permit, saying “we need to ensure we do not have fly-by-night promoters ... interested in simply making money and getting out of town while they leave a wake of violence.”
He did not reveal new details Wednesday about the investigation into Saturday’s bloodshed at the un-permitted event in the 5000 block of Cleveland Road. The shooting killed Kealon Gilmore, 26, and wounded 16 others who ranged in age from 13 to 29. No arrests have been made, and officials have not provided information about potential suspects.
The burst of gunfire came after a string of violence over the last month, including a shooting two weeks ago in which one teen was killed and nine other people were wounded at a spring break party at The Space Dallas, a South Dallas party venue. The chief has said that event also didn’t have a permit.
Police and city leaders have advocated for more accountability for landowners and event promoters, but it remained unclear Wednesday whether police intend to file charges against those involved in organizing the spring break party or the outdoor concert. Police spokeswoman Kristin Lowman said that it was “part of the ongoing investigation.”
The Space Dallas event venue and the St. John Missionary Baptist Church — a church on Marsalis Avenue that owns the property where this weekend’s shooting happened — have not responded to requests for comment.
As police search for suspects, questions remain about whether the violence could’ve been prevented. Seven off-duty Dallas police officers were working security at this weekend’s event but left about 30 minutes before the gunfire. Police said their shifts ended.
The chief implemented new policies this week which state that off-duty officers were no longer allowed to work events that require a permit and are not issued one. He said Wednesday that police continue to work on internal policies, but the department “can only do so much” when the responsibility lies with people committing the crimes.
“We’re not perfect,” García said. “There’s not a police department in America that’s perfect — I wish we were. To the extent that we can increase communication we have amongst each other is what we’re going to do to do our best to avoid this from happening.”
The Dallas Police Department’s official tally of murders has ticked up in recent weeks — even as overall violence remained down — and is slightly higher than it was at the same point last year. Other recent violence has included the fatal shooting of a 3-year-old boy, gunfire in Uptown that injured two people and the slaying of a teen at a Raising Cane’s drive-through in Red Bird.
Community leaders joined the chief and city members to champion togetherness and violence intervention, saying that neighborhoods need to work together to prevent crime.
Victor Alvelais of Dallas CRED — an extension of the national nonprofit Youth Advocate Programs — said he’s among a team of 10 working in areas across the city with the highest rates of violence to effect positive change and show people compassion. The team of violence interrupters works to resolve conflicts and discourage violent crime by providing “people prone to acts of violence” with resources and fostering positivity in their lives.
“We are part of the solution to eradicate violence across the city of Dallas,” Alvelais said. “Because we know that we feel a void that is missing — not only in the community but in the lives of residents within those communities.”
Council member Carolyn King Arnold, whose district includes parts of Oak Cliff but not the area where the concert shooting occurred, said she set up the Wednesday news conference ahead of summer, which she called “the season of celebratory events.”
Arnold said the community needs to make an assessment now. She said city officials need to look into ensuring that there’s a better understanding of how the permitting process works, as well as better background checks into event promoters to establish accountability.
“We can’t sit another four months with stats like this and be happy about it,” Arnold said, referencing crime in her district. “We have to understand the seriousness of now.”
Dallas’ public safety committee is planning to discuss the recent shootings and possible policy changes in more depth during a meeting Monday.
City Manager T.C. Broadnax also released a statement Wednesday saying that he asked police to work with the City Attorney’s Office to investigate “creating an ordinance to ensure promoter, vendor, and site accountability; adequate public safety/security at events; and permit oversight and enforcement for violation of these standards.”
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