DALLAS — The shooting death of an 11-year-old boy at an apartment complex in Dallas remains under investigation.
Police arrested a 14-year-old girl in connection to the deadly shooting that happened in Signature at Southern Oaks Apartments on Sunday afternoon. Investigators said the victim, De’Evan McFall, was a bystander.
“I don’t want nobody else to have to feel like this. I don’t. Protect your babies at all cost. You can’t get them back. I will never see my son again,” the boy’s mother Vashunte Settles cried.
McFall’s family and friends gathered outside the apartment complex for a press conference on Monday afternoon.
“Please, people! Stop killing each other! I never thought I would be standing here doing this for one of my babies,” the boy’s emotional grandmother Lois Williams said.
Investigators said McFall was in the area when a couple of teenage girls got into a heated fight. According to neighbors, one of the girls ran to get a gun and fired several shots. McFall was injured and later died at the hospital.
Police said the 14-year-old girl who shot the McFall ran from the scene.
“It’s heartbreaking to see a child laying on the ground in a pool of blood, just lifeless, just laying there,” one neighbor said, as she reflected on the shooting.
Members of McFall’s family said they know the family of the girl who is accused of killing him. They said their families are closely connected because they grew up together.
The tragedy has community members raising many questions. Some of the residents at the apartment complex want to know about youth access to guns.
Police haven’t yet confirmed where the weapon came from. However, investigators said they’ve recovered the gun and arrested the child who shot McFall.
Some neighbors in the complex said fights among young people happen often on the property. They want responsible adults to get involved.
“I know the police, they’ve got their job to do. They can’t be everywhere. But these parents need to do something about their children. They’re unruly, and they’re not disciplined. It goes on all the time,” another neighbor said.
Concerned residents and McFall’s family said they don’t want another tragedy like this to happen to someone else.