Dallas game warden investigating coyote shootings in Lochwood neighborhood
DALLAS - Authorities are investigating whether a vigilante is shooting coyotes in a Dallas neighborhood.
Dallas Animal Services says it's investigating three coyote deaths since August. Two of them were shot.
Authorities don't know who is doing it, but people who live in the area are rattled.
Emily Levin is still left disturbed by the dead coyote found in her front yard last week.
"Wednesday, this dead coyote appeared in our front yard on the border between our yard and our neighbor’s yard," she recalled.
Levin says a city wildlife investigator immediately came out to her Lochwood neighborhood and revealed the coyote had been shot.
"And I asked her if she knew if it had been shot in our front yard or it had walked. And she said it was hard to tell, which is not reassuring," Levin said.
DAS tells FOX 4 it’s been investigating a possible trend since August.
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Three coyotes have been found dead in Lochwood. Two were shot. The third was disposed of before the city arrived on scene.
"Like, don’t go shooting a gun in a neighborhood!" Levin said.
The neighborhood has been shaken for weeks.
Just a few streets over from Levin, a homeowner sent FOX 4 surveillance video from late October where you can hear gunfire. You can hear glass shattering at the end.
One bullet went through a home’s front window near Easton Road and East Lake Highlands Drive. No one was hurt.
More recently, the same homeowner said he heard gunshots again Sunday afternoon. Dallas police say they responded, but no one was injured.
It’s unknown if these incidents are related to the coyote shootings.
However, the Dallas County game warden confirmed they are investigating and are asking for all surveillance video to be handed over.
Levin has a warning to anyone disrupting the peace in her neighborhood.
"Don’t bring that to our neighborhood. It's too nice of a place for that," she said.
The Dallas County game warden couldn't reveal too much information on the investigation but wanted to remind people the coyotes in urban areas are being monitored.
At this point, no coyotes in the Lochwood area have posed a threat to humans.