Dallas Police are investigating a triple shooting that left one man dead and another in critical condition. It happened near the entertainment district of Deep Ellum.
Police say the shooting happened overnight around 2:30 Sunday morning at the corner of Commerce Street and South Pearl Expressway. A preliminary investigation shows two people were transported to a nearby hospital with gunshot wounds.
One victim, identified as 22-year-old Mario Marchbanks, died from his injuries.
While the circumstances leading to the shooting are unclear, Dallas activist Mar Butler says the solution is getting to the root cause of violence.
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“There’s negligence somewhere in our communication, our engagement, our processes for prevention and intervention,” Butler said. “There’s a disconnection somewhere, and we have to get ahead of it.”
This weekend’s shooting is on the heels of recent crime numbers out of the city of Dallas – which show homicide is up 10% so far this year, with 150 murders reported as of last week.
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Butler is the founder and CEO of TREE Leadership Organization, which focuses on community outreach. He said violent crime impacts the entire city, from entertainment districts and beyond.
“A lot people who commit crimes and shoot in certain places, they don’t even live I those areas where the crimes are being committed,” he said.
Crime prevention is part of the reason why Butler planned the Village Project back-to-school event on August 5th at the Hiawatha Recreation Center. The event is designed to support families as children return to school, provide critical resources, and continue the message of non-violence.
“That’s focusing on everything from job placement to job training, and mental health which is a big deal when it comes to violence crime,” Butler said. “We have all of those services.”
For more information visit https://www.treeleadership.org/
We’re told a second shooting victim is in the hospital in critical condition. A third victim is in stable condition. No word on suspects, but anyone with information is asked to call Dallas Police at 214-671-3603.
