DALLAS — An 18-year-old man remains in critical condition after a shooting outside a party venue in Dallas, police said Monday.
Police said the teen was among 10 people injured as shots were fired toward a large crowd waiting to get inside The Space Dallas in the 5200 block of Botham Jean Boulevard late on Saturday, March 19.
“It don’t make no sense that kids running around, hauling around guns,” said Alfred Edwards.
Dallas police said the injured victims range in ages from 15 to 21.
“This was random,” said community organizer, Tabitha Wheeler-Reagan.
Wheeler-Reagan is also a member of Urban Specialists O.G.U. It’s a Dallas-based nonprofit with a mission driven to end senseless violence and provide vulnerable residents with a variety of resources.
“We’ve got to figure this out, and we can’t point fingers anymore,” Wheeler-Reagan added.
She and her team are concerned. According to Wheeler-Reagan, some young adults expressed wanting to get guns for personal safety, after experiencing a violent incident like Saturday’s shooting.
“We’ve been in a couple of town hall meetings and meetings where we invite youth out. What we’ve heard, later, is the youth feel, yes, I can come and listen to you all, but am I really being heard,” said Wheeler-Reagan.
As the investigation into the shooting continues, activists know time is critical.
“We’ve got to get into some solutions, and we’ve got to get into them quick. We are less than 90 days to summer, and we know that March and April is always an indication of what could happen over the summer,” said Wheeler-Reagan.
Some residents remain worried, knowing the shooting suspects have not been identified.
“All we can do is pray. It’s too much. And these are children, you know,” said Joyce Jackson.