Federal Officials to Detail Response to Deep Ellum Shootings

U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould is scheduled to speak at a news conference in Dallas on November 3 about federal actions following three shootings in Deep Ellum. Dallas Police Chief Daniel Comeaux and representatives of several federal agencies and the Texas Department of Public Safety are also expected to attend. The announcement did not specify what the actions would involve.

Police said the first shooting occurred near midnight in a parking lot on Elm Street, where five people were shot during what appeared to be an altercation. Minutes later, gunfire near Commerce and South Crowdus streets killed three people. A third shooting, around 1:35 a.m. on November 1 on South Crowdus Street, killed one person.

Comeaux said earlier that police did not believe the three shootings were connected. Investigators had spoken with witnesses and made arrests, while seeking additional suspects and asking nearby businesses for surveillance footage. Police urged anyone with information to contact the department.

The shootings came about six months after two other incidents in Deep Ellum. In one, five people were wounded; in another, security officer Joseph Gray was fatally shot while trying to stop a fight. A suspect was arrested and charged with murder.

The Deep Ellum Foundation scheduled community listening sessions with Mayor Pro Tem Moreno for November 4 and November 6. The foundation has previously called for a late-night entertainment permit system with consistent safety requirements for venues.