Deep Ellum Endured Four (Documented) Weekend Shooting Incidents Throughout The Month Of August, Which Is Too Many By Any Measure.

Is crime once again on the rise in Deep Ellum? Always is, feels like. Such is, rather unfortunately, the uniquely cyclical nature of Dallas’ most storied cultural district — now officially designated as such by the Texas Commission on the Arts — where an uncertain future is always of grave concern but nothing really ever changes.

Still: The neighborhood endured four weekend shootings throughout August — including one on Friday, August 28, that left four injured and a 15-year-old boy dead — which is too much by any measure.

Here’s what we know about each these documented events:

  • Saturday, August 1: At around 8:30 p.m., as onlookers gathered along the 2800 block of July Alley to observe a music video being filmed close by, a shooter allegedly approached the scene and opened fire — four times striking a 21-year-old man who was working on his vehicle at the time of the attack. The victim was later pronounced dead at Baylor Hospital. A suspect was arrested 17 days later.
  • Saturday, August 22: Two women were struck by gunfire from “several yards away” while sitting at a table alongside the 2700 block of Main Street in the early morning hours. A male suspected carrying a firearm was observed fleeing the scene. One woman was transported to a hospital privately, the other via paramedics. The Dallas Police Department has not publicly shared whether it has a suspect in the case, nor has it provided any update on the conditions of the victims.
  • Friday, August 28: Five people were shot when gunfire rang out shortly after 11 p.m. along a stretch of Elm Street running from Good-Latimer Expressway to Crowdus Street. Video circulating of the event online appears to show one victim fleeing from the scene while carrying a firearm before collapsing on the sidewalk. All five victims were transported to local hospitals; four by paramedics and one privately. Four of the victims — three adult males and one adult female — suffered non-life-threatening injuries. The fifth, a 15-year-old boy, arrived at the hospital in critical condition. His family took him off life support on Monday afternoon. Police have been talking to and are still seeking additional statements from witnesses of the shooting, but say they currently have no suspects. A GoFundMe has been launched to help cover the costs of the 15-year-old victim’s funeral.
  • Sunday, August 30: A 19-year-old male was struck by gunfire at approximately 2:30 a.m. near the 2900 block of Main Street. He was transported to an area hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. The police are still investigating the incident.

These repeated incidents, it seems worth noting, have done little to slow the usual nightlife activity surrounding the neighborhood. Even as the coronavirus rages on, the days of Deep Ellum looking deserted as it did in the early days of the pandemic are long gone. One person who was in Deep Ellum on the night of the Friday, August 28, shooting described the neighborhood vibe that evening as looking “like a music festival.”

All photos of police investigating the August 28 shooting by Avi Adelman.

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