Houston-area real estate agent murdered in Downtown Dallas, suspect turns himself in
Dallas shooting suspect turns himself in amid murder investigation
Ashlee Long’s family spoke for the first time since their daughter was murdered during a night out in Dallas. Finch turned himself in after Dallas police and Long's family put a call-out to the public on social media.
DALLAS - In the immediate days after Ashlee Long's murder in Downtown Dallas, her family took to social media to spread awareness about the case. Two weeks later, the suspect finally turned himself over to police.
Stickers of 28-year-old Ashlee Long are left along Main Street. Long’s family spoke for the first time since their daughter was murdered during a night out in Dallas.
The family wants her to be remembered as a career-oriented real estate agent who had big dreams and was also known as a glowing spirit and loving friend and daughter.
Downtown Dallas shooting
What we know:
Long was visiting from the Richmond-Rosenberg area in Southwest Houston, when she and a group of friends left a downtown Dallas bar just after 2 am.
According to an arrest warrant affidavit, surveillance video captured the shooting off Main Street.
Police say a man Long was with "reached out and brushed his hand along the passenger side of a passing Mercedes".
The passenger of that car, later identified by detectives as 34-year-old Kendrick Finch, exited the Mercedes "with a gun in his hand".
The affidavit states a man with Long reached into her purse and pulled out his gun.
That's when police say Finch opened fire, striking both Long and the man she was with.
That man was able to fire back but Finch then took off.
Long later died at the hospital.
The man who she was with was also shot, but he survived.
Long's family were left shocked and with a flurry of questions when police revealed the details leading up to the shooting.
Finch turns himself in following social media posts
According to police, a few hours after the shooting, Finch called officers and told them he was the passenger in the Mercedes.
It wasn't until April 18th that Finch turned himself in after Dallas police put a call-out to the public on social media.
Video of the moment was captured and shared on social media by "Smash Da Topic."
Long's family used this photo on social media to spread awareness and ensure the suspect was caught.
What they're saying:
Long's parents still carry the memory of their daughter with them.
"I’m still in a fog. I just feel like I’m in a daze every day," said Long's mother. "You've got Mother's Day. You have Father's Day. We don't get to have that now."
"One of the first things the detective said was, if she had been somewhere else 5 minutes before or 5 minutes after, it wouldn't have happened. It was a random act. That is what is so sickening," said Long’s stepmother, Holly King.
Dig deeper:
Finch does have a criminal history, including drug charges and burglary.
He remains in the Dallas County jail with a bond of $500,000.
The Source: Information in this article was provided by the Dallas Police Department and interviews with the victim's family.