Uptown Dallas shooting suspect arrested, charged with murder

DALLAS - Police have arrested a 45-year-old suspect accused of shooting and killing a man in Uptown Dallas.

Corey Antwon Thompson was arrested on Tuesday on Bickers Street, not far from N. Hampton Road. He was out on bond from a previous arrest.

Thompson was charged with the murder of 46-year-old Army veteran Roderick Butler on Dec. 20.

Police previously said they believe Thompson targeted Butler near a strip center off McKinney Avenue and Pearl Street.

Butler's body was found on the sidewalk outside of a bank.

According to an arrest warrant affidavit, video footage of the incident showed the suspect walking up to Butler and shooting him in the face with "an assault style rifle."

Photos released of the gunman show the suspect carrying a gun, wearing blue latex gloves, a hoodie and a mask.

Police said they tracked him down because a woman called police saying a man matching his description tried to rob her.

She gave information about his vehicle, which was connected to a previous interaction with police.

Family members told FOX 4 that Butler had been homeless and suffered from mental health issues, but had recently moved to an apartment in Dallas and seemed to be doing better.

Butler’s family said they are happy an arrest was made.

It was hard to celebrate Christmas in the Butler home.

"I told them, ‘Oh, I’m just looking for Roderick to call me and it’s not going to happen,’" Butler’s mother, Tonie Butler, recalled.

Wednesday morning, she got a call from Dallas investigators saying they found the man who killed her son.

"I was happy because I was praying God would see him and get him off the street so he doesn’t harm anyone else," she added.

Police did not say if they know the motive for the murder, as Butler’s mother and brother try to process what happened a week ago.

"This is not completely closure, but the fact that he won’t harm anyone else, that’s what I was thinking," Butler’s mother said.

An arrest warrant affidavit said that a woman claimed Thompson had tried to rob her and her friend on Singleton Boulevard on Dec. 16.

The woman claimed that the suspect wore the same surgical mask, hooded sweatshirt, and blue jacket as the man seen in the photo of the Uptown shooting.

The man left the area in a white Lincoln.

Thompson called police on Nov. 13, 2023, saying that someone was "trying to kill him," according to police documents.

Body camera footage from an officer responding to the call showed that Thompson was wearing clothing matching what the suspect wore on Dec. 20, 2023, according to the arrest affidavit.

Thompson was also seen driving a white Lincoln SUV with paper tags during that call.

Court documents show Thompson may be connected to a Christmas Day murder in Balch Springs.

Police said a man was found shot and killed in his car, and a suspect vehicle matching Thompson’s Lincoln was involved.

Balch Springs would only tell FOX 4 that Thompson is a "person of interest."

Thompson is being held in the Dallas County Jail.

He is being held on $1,250,000 bond.

Thompson was out on bond at the time of the murder, released in May for felony criminal mischief -- misdemeanor assault and a family violence charge.