Step into a North Texas diner and you’ll be able to understand the mood of the community.
At P.J.’s Café in Irving, people gave their opinions over breakfast.
“It’s been real somber,” said waitress Tina Martinez. “[Customers] watch the news and they just drop their head.”
We came across Candice Russell, who spent five hours trapped in the chaos Thursday night.
"I'm sad for Dallas," she said. "I feel like we're broken in a way."
Russell stopped by the protest to pick up a friend when the shots rang out. She said she thanked a black police officer who offered her direction and was surprised by the officer's response.
"She just started to cry," Russell said. "She said nobody was doing that and it meant a lot to her that she was appreciated."
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We asked people about possible solutions to the underlying problems of racism, police brutality and respect for law enforcement.
“I think it’s a really complicated situation and it’s not as simple as people make it out to be,” Russell said. “I think you can be pro-black lives matter and pro-police.”
Martinez added that she's optimistic about the city's immediate future.
“I think everybody is watching Dallas,” she said. “I think Dallas is going to rise above this and be bigger and better and we are going to make the difference and we just might be the city to do it.”
