It's been a violent few days in North Texas. Dallas, alone, registered six murders since Thursday.
On Saturday night, police rushed to a banquet hall in Old East Dallas when a shooting broke out reportedly between two groups holding separate events.
Eight people were shot and injured, including two kids.
On Monday, police said the banquet hall owner does not appear to be operating legally.
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Dallas Police are asking the city to look into its licensing.
Despite the tough weekend, the department is cautiously optimistic about its new targeted plan to fight crime.
A south Dallas apartment complex is the scene of the latest murder in Dallas.
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A 20-year-old woman was killed, police say, when a bullet went into her home, hitting her.
It's not yet known if she was targeted or the innocent victim of gun violence.
"Now more than ever we have to take the issue of violence in our community serious because the ages are getting younger," said Antong Lucky, President of Urban Specialists.
We're in the second month of Police Chief Eddie Garcia's plan to combat violence.
Increasing police presence at specific times, in hot spots for violent crime.
They're targeting criminals, without being a stop-and-frisk policy.
A cautiously-optimistic Garcia, recently addressed city leaders to report: violent crime went down in May from April and that Dallas, had fewer murders, in May, than May of 2020.
"Obviously we're not doing any touchdown dances, it's getting warmer so we've got a lot of work to do but the rank and file and the men and women are doing a tremendous job," said Garcia.
"How's it going so far?" asked NBC 5 Reporter Maria Guerrero.
"Where we're seeing police focus, we are seeing a downward trend," said Executive Deputy Chief Albert Martinez.
A trend, Martinez said is holding, so far in June.
"We've already seen we're at least down by 70 violent crimes. In those grades so we know it works," said Martinez.
"It's still very early in that plan but I have confidence that our police chief understands that this is absolutely what we demand of our city government because our residents deserve to live in a safe city," said Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson.
Johnson's task force to reduce crime is also hitting the streets.
Ordinary residents deemed 'Violence Interrupters' are still in training but now know, which neighborhoods they'll target.
Similar to what 'urban specialists' is already doing in the southern sector.
"Our guys are to work with the youth of that neighborhood and the families of those neighborhoods to connect them to resources, mediate conflict and to kind of be the thermostat of those neighborhoods to turn down potential conflict," said Lucky.
Dallas police and criminologists say this is not just a policing issue.
Dallas police are meeting with faith leaders this week to go over Garcia's plan to fight violence and find out how they can help.
