Dallas officers were at Southern Dallas concert before mass shooting
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Dallas Police Chief Eddie Garcia on Monday during a press conference. Screenshot: YouTube
Dallas Police officers were at a concert in Southern Dallas over the weekend, but left before a shooting that led to one death and at least 16 people injured — including three children.
Why it matters: This is the second large event in Dallas that resulted in a mass shooting in two weeks. There are at least 26 total victims from the two shootings, according to Police Chief Eddie Garcia.
- Neither event had a city permit.
What happened: Dallas Police say they responded to a shooting call in an unincorporated part of Southern Dallas just after 12am Sunday and found 26-year-old Kealon Dejuane Gilmore near a stage with a gunshot wound to his head. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
- The event, promoted by Bossman Bubba and headlined by rapper Big Boogie, had as many as 2,000 attendees, per WFAA.
- The DPD officers working the event left before the shooting, according to Garcia. Flyers for the event, billed as the "Second Annual Epic Easter Bike Out and Field Party," noted that police would be on site.
Flashback: Two weeks ago, at least 10 people were injured during a shooting at another concert in South Dallas with more than 1,000 people in attendance. One victim is 15 years old.
What they're saying: "These officers should not have been working this event that didn't have a permit," Garcia said at a news conference. "They got approval to work but shouldn't have been working an unpermitted event."
- Garcia added: "The event shouldn't have been allowed to happen in the first place."
- Monday evening, Garcia announced a change to department policy. Officers are no longer allowed to work at events without proper permits.
The other side: "We took necessary steps to offer safety by having Dallas Police officers and security personnel on scene," Bossman Bubba said in a statement posted to Instagram. "However, some things were still out of our control."
The intrigue: Garcia said Dallas doesn't have "a strong promoter ordinance" in place.
What's next: The police chief said the department is investigating both shootings and looking into whether event promoters and landowners might face criminal charges.