Dallas Police Chief Eddie Garcia on Monday during a press conference. Screenshot: YouTube
Dallas Police officers were at a concert in Southern Dallas over the weekend, but left before a shooting that led to one death and at least 16 people injured — including three children.
Why it matters: This is the second large event in Dallas that resulted in a mass shooting in two weeks. There are at least 26 total victims from the two shootings, according to Police Chief Eddie Garcia.
- Neither event had a city permit.
What happened: Dallas Police say they responded to a shooting call in an unincorporated part of Southern Dallas just after 12am Sunday and found 26-year-old Kealon Dejuane Gilmore near a stage with a gunshot wound to his head. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Flashback: Two weeks ago, at least 10 people were injured during a shooting at another concert in South Dallas with more than 1,000 people in attendance. One victim is 15 years old.
What they’re saying: “These officers should not have been working this event that didn’t have a permit,” Garcia said at a news conference. “They got approval to work but shouldn’t have been working an unpermitted event.”
- Garcia added: “The event shouldn’t have been allowed to happen in the first place.”
- Monday evening, Garcia announced a change to department policy. Officers are no longer allowed to work at events without proper permits.
The other side: “We took necessary steps to offer safety by having Dallas Police officers and security personnel on scene,” Bossman Bubba said in a statement posted to Instagram. “However, some things were still out of our control.”
The intrigue: Garcia said Dallas doesn’t have “a strong promoter ordinance” in place.
What’s next: The police chief said the department is investigating both shootings and looking into whether event promoters and landowners might face criminal charges.