Deep Ellum community reeling after shooting leaves 2 dead, 3 injured
DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) - The day after introducing its new safety plan, Dallas' Deep Ellum neighborhood is reeling from an early morning shooting that killed two people and injured three others.
Dallas police say there were three shooters – the two men who died and a third who is now hospitalized. Two bystanders, who were standing on the sidewalk at two in the morning as bars were letting out, were also hit by the gunfire and injured.
According to police, the shootout began after Jermaine Lewis recognized Quintin Lowe as the man who'd set him up to be robbed last week. Lewis and a friend, Anthony Barrow, approached him on Elm Street. Police say all three men fired shots. Lewis and Lowe were both killed in the exchange of gunfire.
Lowe was on community supervision for choking his girlfriend in 2017 and out on bond for a 2018 murder in Lewisville that occurred after a fight over a parking spot.
"We have uniformed officers just down the street and people are firing weapons with no regard for public safety," said Kristin Lowman, a spokesperson for the Dallas Police Department.
Just yesterday, the Deep Ellum Foundation revealed a plan months in the making to add cameras to the area and a new 24 hour command center staffed with private security and police.
"We love Deep Ellum. We just want stuff like this to stop happening," said Grace Toole, who works at Serious Pizza near the scene of Friday morning's shooting.
After a shooting last month, she said, she stopped taking the night shift.
"It's definitely scary to hear when something like that happens. It's one of my worst fears," said Taylor Donnelson, who was in Deep Ellum Friday afternoon getting a tattoo.
She and her friends say they feel safe in the entertainment during the day.
At night, it's a different story.
"People if they're drinking, they're not coherent. It's riskier. So, yea, I tend to avoid it at night," said Julissa Sanchez.
In a press conference, Dallas police chief Eddie Garcia called Lowe's presence in Deep Ellum a slap in the face.
"Irresponsible decisions are being made about bonds that do not make our communities safe. In this case the decision was made in another county. The goal of bond bail reform is not to have an individual suspected of murder out on bond and a year later have access to a gun and then be involved in two deaths," he said.