Dallas Police Chief Eddie Garcia said Sunday he ordered an internal investigation to determine if officers could have handled the circumstances of a call differently after a shooting left eight people injured and a woman dead.
Dallas police initially responded to a call at about 11:10 p.m. regarding gunfire at a party in the 4500 block of Collins Avenue.
A preliminary investigation determined a large party had moved into the street, and gunfire had stopped when police arrived, according to spokesperson Kristin Lowman.
"We did stay in the area, patrolling, monitoring the crowd," Lowman said.
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Lowman said police who remained nearby heard shots fired at about 1:35 a.m.
The gunfire hit seven women and two men who were all taken to local hospitals by Dallas Fire-Rescue and in private vehicles, according to the report.
Coriesha Bradford, 21, died at the hospital. The other eight adults suffered injuries that were not considered life-threatening.
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Tyresha Jordan said her cousin was a loyal friend who should have been at work on Sunday. Instead, she said her family received a call early Sunday to rush to Baylor Hospital.
“She did not have to go the way she did," Jordan said. "It's senseless. Y’all broke our family. Everybody is so hurt right now.”
Dallas detectives said they do not have a description of the shooter but they don’t believe it was a random crime.
Bradford’s family said they have questions about why police didn’t break up the party sooner.
“A bunch of people at one in the morning," Bradford's aunt Patrice Price asked. "Cops should’ve been making everyone leave."
In a statement late Sunday afternoon, Garcia acknowledged he intends to learn more about the circumstances leading up to the shooting.
"While the preliminary investigation determined officers who responded did not observe criminal activity among the people in the area at the time, this event ultimately led to tragic consequences," Garcia said.
Police preliminary investigation determined one person began firing shots in the crowd, which caused others to fire their weapons.
Dallas police said the investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information on this incident is asked to contact Detective Phillip Wheeler at 214-671-3686 or Phillip.Wheeler@dallaspolice.gov.
