'Horrific' Dallas concert shooting leaves 1 dead, 11 injured

A shooting at an outdoor music festival in southeast Dallas over the weekend has left one man dead and 11 others injured, including three kids, according to police reports from the scene. 

Just after midnight on Sunday, police responded to a call of shots fired at an open field in Oak Cliff where the Second Annual Epic Easter Bike Out & Field Party, hosted by Bossman Bubba, was taking place. Upon arrival, officers discovered Kealon Dejuane Gilmore, 26, lying near the stage having suffered a gunshot wound to the head. Gilmore was pronounced dead at the scene. 

According to police interviews, the shooting was prompted when a fight broke out among a group of concert-goers. During the melee, one man fired his gun into the air and then another turned his weapon on the crowd of about 2,000 in attendance, including children, firing indiscriminately and sending people fleeing, creating a stampede.

"Everybody was running," Lulu Smith, who attended the event with her daughter, told WFAA in Dallas. "It was so jam-packed right here, you couldn't get in or out. When I got to my car, somebody was shooting. I rolled down my window and I heard [shots]."

As of Monday morning, no arrests have been made as police continue to investigate. 

"Last night’s violence was horrific and unacceptable,” said Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson in a statement. “I am praying for the victims, and I look forward to our police department bringing those responsible to justice. Public safety remains our top priority, and I will be conferring with Police Chief Eddie Garcia to see what more can be done to stop this kind of violence in our city."

Fliers for the event, an all-ages show that included an Easter egg hunt for kids and was meant to be headlined by rapper Big Boogie, who never made it to the stage due to the shooting, suggest Dallas police would “be on site” to provide security. The Dallas Police Department is looking into the claim, according to reports by the Daily Mail. 

This is the second such shooting at an event in the city over the past two weeks, following a random shooting at The Space Dallas where 10 people were injured and one 18-year-old was left in critical condition when a man opened fire on a large crowd waiting to get inside.

Gilmore, 26, was a TikTok creator who made videos with “chill and funny vibes” for his more than 20,000 followers, according to his profile. 

“I never thought it would be one of my friends,” Dallas rapper Tspeed, a friend of Gilmore’s, said in a video on his Facebook page after the shooting. “It’s so sad, man it's so sad. I wouldn't even expect for nothing to happen to you like that. Seems like the good ones always go first. I actually knew this dude, actually went to school with this dude. This is a great kid, man.”