Dallas police said their investigation of two shootings within blocks of each other early Monday morning revealed the murders were related and tied to drug activity.
Officers were still looking for the suspects Monday night.
"We are continuing to interview several witnesses. We believe that multiple suspects are involved," Dallas Police Maj. Rob Sherwin said.
The first deadly shooting happened in the 2900 block of Prince Hall Lane around 4 a.m. Witnesses at the Sunrise Village Apartments told NBC 5 they heard five to 10 gunshots.
.@DallasPD is investigating a fatal shooting in an apartment at 2900 Prince Hall Ln. pic.twitter.com/XrL6W9wvjG — Kevin Wetherington (@KevinDPD) August 18, 2014
Billy Baker, 49, was found shot there. He died later of his wounds.
Sherwin said Baker’s murder appeared to have been committed during a robbery.
“It may be a drug house location, but we’re continuing to confirm that," Sherwin said.
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Around 6 a.m., 16-year-old Kenneth Lovely was found shot to death in a breezeway of the Rosemont of Oak Hollow Apartments in the 3000 block of East Ledbetter Drive.
.@DallasPD is investigating another shooting incident near Ledbetter and Sunnyvale pic.twitter.com/Ascmu13C5h — Kevin Wetherington (@KevinDPD) August 18, 2014
"I was sitting on the patio and next thing I know I heard, 'Pow! Pow! Pow!' Over and over," said Rosemont resident Jessica Duckett, who counted five gunshots.
About the same time, a teenage boy stumbled in to a 7-Eleven at the corner of East Ledbetter Drive and Sunnyvale Street. Demarcus Mangis was working behind the counter and said the teen was bleeding and begging for help.
"I was like, 'Are you alright?' And he was like, 'They shot me. They shot me three times.' And he had blood coming from his ankle and also his butt, his rear end," Mangis said.
"I was like, 'Just lay here and don’t move. I'll stay with you and call the ambulance. That's all I can do.'"
Sherwin said police suspect both 16-year-olds were shot together at the Rosemont of Oak Hollow complex, and the survivor was able to get away.
He said the second shooting may have been payback for the first.
"It could be that there was a robbery, possibly, and then someone went over to another location to re-acquire their property," Sherwin said.
Residents said they hear gunshots every night and worry about escalating violence in the neighborhood.
"There's too many kids out here getting killed over something stupid," Duckett said.
Store clerk Mangis said neighbors need to be careful how they talk to people on the street.
"You just can't say nothing to nobody. Everybody's got guns and stuff," he said.
