DALLAS, Texas — City leaders, business owners and residents packed a Friday afternoon session in Dallas to argue over how to keep Deep Ellum safe, a week after three Halloween night shootings in the entertainment district killed four people and wounded at least 15.
The Deep Ellum Foundation hosted the listening session, which started by pausing in silence to remember those killed. Questions went to Comeaux, who leads the Dallas Police Department, along with City Manager Kim Tolbert and Jesse Moreno, who represents District 2 on the City Council. Moreno said the violence was unacceptable and that every option should be considered.
Ideas on the table ranged widely. Some attendees pushed for a juvenile curfew, while others doubted it would help. The chief put responsibility for underage drinking squarely on the bars that serve it. Others suggested a mobile holding unit to clear intoxicated people out of the district faster, and some floated banning guns in the district outright. Comeaux said the area is too big to make that practical.
The city manager said no-trespassing signs will go up in parking lots to cut down on loitering. The foundation said added security measures, which it did not describe, will be in place this weekend, the first since the shootings, alongside extra police patrols.
One suspect, a convicted felon, has been arrested and is accused of shooting seven of the victims. Police are still looking for others involved. Business owners at the meeting said they worry the violence will scare customers away from one of the city’s oldest nightlife districts.
Section: More Dallas TX crime news
Filed under: Dallas TX Public Safety News
