No permit issued ahead of Dallas concert shooting that left 1 dead, 16 injured
DALLAS - The deadly shooting that left one person dead and 16 others hurt in Dallas happened at an event that was not approved by the city.
The mass shooting is leading to changes in DPD’s policy for providing off-duty security.
Shots rang out just after midnight Sunday at what was described as an all-day field party off Cleveland Road in southeast Oak Cliff.
RELATED: 1 dead, several others injured in overnight shooting at Dallas field party concert
During a news conference Monday, Dallas Police Chief Eddie Garcia said investigators believe one person fired a gun into the air and then an argument broke out. Another individual then fired shots in the direction of the crowd.
Dallas police are still looking for the shooters responsible for Sunday’s shooting.
Cell phone video captured the barrage of gunfire and chaos.
An estimated 1,000 people were at the event which featured several rap performers. One person, 26-year-old Kealon Gilmore, was killed. A total of 16 others, including three minors, were injured during the shooting. The youngest victim was 13 years old.
Gilmore’s family was not ready to talk on camera about their loss but shared that he leaves behind a 7-year-old son.
"We will be looking at these incidents," Garcia said. "It's our job to leave no stone unturned to see how we can keep our communities safe."
The chief issued a memo Monday afternoon saying "DPD officers shall not work events that require a permit and have not been issued a permit." He added that "it is the responsibility of each officer/coordinator to confirm permitting of the event."
Councilman Tennell Atkins and Chief Garcia each say they’ll work with city leaders to see if it can strengthen ordinances related to promoters and illegal gatherings while better educating the public to call-in tips.
Dallas Police Chief Eddie Garcia gives an update on the mass shooting at an outdoor concert event in Dallas.
‘We’ve got to look at policy," Atkins said. "We’ve got to say, ‘Well there’s something going on. Do you know if they have a permit over there?’ So we got to be you know more proactive."
Saturday’s party took place in a field off Cleveland Road. A public records search points to St. John Missionary Baptist Church owning the property. It’s unclear what sort of, if any, involvement the church may have with party organizers.
"I think this is a lesson to learn, but I hate to learn a lesson when someone died," Atkins said.
Dallas police are also looking into how a large-scale event took place under the watch of off-duty police officers when the organizers didn’t have a permit. In Dallas, a permit is required for events with more than 100 people.
"The concert shouldn’t have been allowed to happen in the first place," Garcia said." I realize that this may not be a popular decision. But if it saves lives, it’s one that needs to be made. People coming to an event should not have to worry about enjoying themselves."
The chief says seven off-duty officers were working security at the event but left around 11 p.m. before the shooting happened.
It’s unclear why the off-duty officers left at that time. But in a memo Monday, the chief announced several changes to the department's policies.
Garcia made it clear officers are not allowed to work non-permitted events and now must confirm event permits with the special events unit. They also must submit detailed information about the event. Division, watch commanders and dispatch will be notified.
"While the off-duty employment was approved, these officers should not have been working in the event that had no permit," Garcia said.
A mass shooting at field party event left 1 dead, more than a dozen injured in southeast Oak Cliff.
Monday afternoon, a few people were still cleaning up debris from the all-day event, which featured several hip-hop performers and an Easter egg hunt for kids.
The chief says he will work with city leaders to prevent a tragedy like this from happening again.
Chief Garcia said he will be discussing what happened with the city’s attorney to see if the promoter and the landowner can be held accountable for what happened.
"We will have zero tolerance for this type of violence in our city," he said.
The event organizer refused to comment when we called him today but did say in a statement that they had security personnel in addition to police officers. They also stated they did not expect a turnout that large, and some things were out of their control.