DALLAS — Video of the shooting at Jim’s Car Wash looks and sounds chaotic. It shows a large group of people running for safety, on Sunday, as unidentified individuals fired more than 40 bullets into a crowd gathered at the South Dallas business.
Four people were shot. Sheila Sanders, 56, was killed.
”It’s an eyesore in every sense of the word,” neighbor Robert Koonce said about the troubled car wash. He is among residents who say they are not surprised by Sunday’s violence.
"We have people coming there selling barbecue. Selling drugs. Items. Stolen goods. Anything that you could think of that’s criminal is taking place there," Koonce said.
The car wash and the traffic it regularly draws has been at the center of controversy for several years. Neighbors and city leaders have been vocal in their push to shut the place down.
The owner of Jim’s Car Wash, Dale Davenport, says the problem is not his business.
“We need the Dallas Police to show up," Davenport said. "When we call them, we need them to show up. We need them to help us with the traffic. We need them to help us with any other problems we’ve had.”
The alleged nuisance activity at the car wash isn’t the only concern. Neighbors say they have long complained about car shows and street racing along Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard happening on any given weekend.
The crowd concerns in and around the car wash, and the Dallas Police Department’s response to it, has forced neighbors to complain on social media and complain to City Council, neighborhood associations and police.
On Monday, two bicycle officers showed up to Jim’s Car Wash. Though Dallas Police Chief Renee Hall says patrol officers are constantly monitoring the business, some neighbors say they do not see the police presence often enough.
Scottie Smith is a community activist who lives near the car wash. He calls the activity around the car wash frustrating.
"Up the ante on the police officers," Smith said. "Get us some additional security. Work with the owner. Put some pressure on the owner to make sure he gets some security.”
Neighbors say they want city leaders and the owner to do something about the car wash and soon. After the shooting over the weekend, residents don’t want to see the violence escalate.