DALLAS — A North Texas family is asking for justice after one of their family members, a street minister, was shot and killed.
Karl Hollins, 38, died on April 7 in South Dallas on the 3400 block of Harmon Street. This is west of Parkdale Lake and just southeast of Fair Park.
His dad, Karl Hollins Sr., said he was shot and killed while working as a security guard. He did this as well as being a street minister.
“He was 38 years old, my only son,” Hollins Sr. said. “Everybody loved my son."
His dad said the night he died, Karl Hollins was working a security detail when someone called him over, asking for some help. He was then allegedly shot and killed.
Police are currently going through surveillance video. While that continues, Karl Hollins' family is asking the public for help.
“I didn’t see my son get into any fights with nobody,” Hollins Sr. said. “Y'all took my baby."
Hollins Sr. said his son struggled with reading but that he worked hard to get better at it.
“He went through all that, and learned how to read,” said Hollins Sr.
After learning how to read, Hollins Sr. also said his son, who had six kids of his own, took that energy and started preaching in crime-ridden areas of Texas.
“My son knew how to talk to people, get to people’s hearts," Hollins Sr. said. "He was in Killeen, he was San Antonio, he got his license to do prison ministry."
On Monday, April 25, WFAA learned more about Hollis' passion to help people.
“What can I say? He was a very powerful man of god,” said Pastor Eric Garnett with Overcomers International Ministry.
Garnett and Hollins started their street ministry together during the pandemic.
“We said, we gonna [sic] bring church to the people, since they can’t go to church, church is closed,” said Garnett.
In 2019, they started going door-to-door.
“He would tell everybody to get in this square and make a circle. He wanted the people that was on the streets. The violent people that nobody else didn’t want,” said Garnett.
The family is asking the public to help the Dallas Police Department with tips. Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective Christopher Walton at 214-671-3632 or christopher.walton@dallascityhall.com. Refer to case No. 060922-2022.
“He died doing what he believed in, helping people,” Hollins Sr. said. "My baby was a good baby. He’s a good kid."