Arrest made after Dallas man shot dead in Grand Prairie parking lot
GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas - U.S Marshals have arrested an 18-year-old man accused of killing another man one week ago.
Walter Umukoro, 22, was shot to death last Monday in the parking lot of a Grand Prairie movie theater.
When his family moved from Dallas to Nigeria in 2006, Walter was just 5 years old. Seventeen years later, their American dream has become a nightmare.
Rita, Evwono and Francis Umukoro are grieving the loss of their son and brother: Walter. He was killed one week ago on Monday, July 11.
Walter Umukoro (Family Photo)
"He loved helping people. He cares for people," Rita said. "He's my heart."
"He said he was going out. He said he was going out," Francis said. "We don’t know where he goes to. He's a young man. So I said okay, but the mom said don't go."
But Walter did go out. He ended up with his girlfriend at a Grand Prairie movie theater. Police say he got into a fight with another man in the parking lot. That man allegedly pulled a gun and fired, killing Walter.
Late Monday, the U.S. Marshals North Texas Fugitive Task Force arrested 18-year-old Cornelius Jackson. He is charged with murder with a bond set at $500,000.
18-year-old Cornelius Jackson
"During the altercation, I’m very sure my son actually didn’t have any kind of threat like that guy is going to do anything like that to him," Francis said. "I believe the other fellow took it to another level and just shot my son dead."
Walter worked as an armed security guard for the past year. Prior to that, he'd taken classes at Cedar Valley College.
"He wanted to be a pharmacy tech," Francis said.
"He wanted to be in pharmacy, but he said he wanted to do this for some time before he can move ahead," Rita said.
Walter also wanted to be a boxer. He also loved his dog, Jacc. He got a birthday cake for the pup turning 2 the Saturday before he was killed.
The family wants to know what went down in the theater parking lot and why.
"He don't like fights," Rita said.
"He doesn’t fight like on the streets," Francis said. "So I don’t know what happened."