Dallas police under scrutiny after shooting victim’s friend, mistaking him for the gunman.
DALLAS — A Fourth of July night meant for celebration turned deadly in Deep Ellum when a shooting left one man dead, several others injured, and another man wounded by Dallas police, who they say they mistook him for the shooter.
The incident unfolded near Main Street in one of Dallas’ most popular entertainment districts. Officers were already stationed in the area for the holiday weekend when shots rang out. Police say they found 21-year-old Kaylen Fritz fatally wounded.
Tevin Valentine, Fritz’s best friend, was seen standing over his body.
Sources say officers gave verbal commands for Valentine to drop his weapon, but Valentine did not comply. He was shot by Dallas police officers. Body camera video has not yet been released, but DPD says it will be released Tuesday afternoon.
Community activists question why DPD shot Valentine, who was distraught over seeing his friend killed.
“And so that causes us to ask for a full-on investigation of this officer-involved shooting,” Dominque Alexander said. “Because we want to know whether the officer gave enough time for Tevin to be able to disarm himself.”
They are also calling out business owners, accusing them of failing to make Deep Ellum safe for visitors.
“I want people to know this is not something new in regards to Deep Ellum having a huge problem when it comes to being able to protect this entertainment industry,” Alexander said.
“If the club owners and the associations that run this entertainment district cannot protect you, we must boycott this actual entertainment district. This is not an isolated situation.”
Fritz’s mother, Cortisha Lyons, said her son had recently become a father.
“This is my son’s baby. He didn’t get a chance to be a father. He didn’t get a chance to experience fatherhood. He was so excited when he left Friday night. He left. I was excited to let him out,” she said.
“When they left our home, they were in a wonderful state. They were in bliss. They were happy. They were excited. They came to enjoy themselves,” Lyons said. “They took my son. This has caused us to go into mourning, into deep mourning.”
Mikie Dean, the mother of another victim, said her son ran for help while bleeding from his wounds.
“He said he ran for help. He said people watched him bleed. His shirt was soaked. He ran trying to get help, and he ran into the arms of police,” Dean said.
“One police officer that actually helped him, and it was a young lady that kneeled down beside him and prayed with him,” Dean continued.
In a statement, Deep Ellum Foundation Executive Director Stephanie Keller Hudiburg expressed sympathy for the families and defended the district’s safety efforts.
“As a mother, my heart goes out to the families. Deep Ellum is first and foremost a community and one that believes strongly in taking care of each other, including our visitors. We work every single day at Deep Ellum Safe, around the clock, to promote a safe and inclusive environment,” she said.
Hudiburg added that the foundation works with businesses and police daily, hosting safety meetings, hiring off-duty officers, and investing in infrastructure improvements such as lighting, mental health resources, and Narcan distribution.
No one has been arrested. Dallas police say their investigation into the shooting is ongoing.