Community advocates are pressing for safer neighborhood conditions after six people were shot and a 25-year-old victim died.
DALLAS, Texas — The death of a 25-year-old after an overnight shooting that sent six people to hospitals is prompting renewed calls from South Dallas advocates for changes they say could help residents feel safer in their neighborhoods.
The shooting happened shortly before 1 a.m. Saturday at the Estelle Village apartments in the 5900 block of Highland Village Drive. Dallas police said six people were hospitalized after the gunfire. One victim, who was initially reported in critical condition, later died. Five others survived, although authorities had not released detailed updates on their conditions.
As police continued investigating the shooting, local advocates turned attention to broader safety concerns in South Dallas. Yafeuh Balogun of Community Movement Builders was among those calling for meaningful changes intended to make neighborhoods safer. The organization has worked on community issues in Dallas, including neighborhood outreach and efforts focused on local conditions.
The calls come as residents wait for answers about the shooting itself. Police had not publicly identified a suspect, announced an arrest or disclosed a possible motive. Investigators also had not said how many people may have opened fire or described the circumstances that led to the gunfire.
Community Movement Builders has previously focused on neighborhood safety issues in southern Dallas. Earlier this year, members of the group worked to install a solar-powered streetlight in a neighborhood after saying residents needed better lighting. That effort was separate from Saturday’s shooting, and authorities have not said lighting or any other neighborhood condition contributed to the gunfire.
The latest shooting has nevertheless brought longstanding safety concerns back into public discussion. Advocates have argued that residents need sustained improvements that make neighborhoods safer rather than attention only after serious violence occurs. Their response reflects a community-focused approach that extends beyond the criminal investigation now being handled by Dallas police.
Investigators, meanwhile, still face the immediate task of determining who fired the shots and why. Authorities had not released information showing whether the six victims knew one another, whether they were attending a gathering or whether they were caught in gunfire directed at someone else.
The identity of the 25-year-old who died had not been publicly released in the information available Sunday. Police also had not announced descriptions of any suspects or confirmed whether detectives believed one or multiple shooters were involved.
For residents and advocates, the police investigation and the wider debate over neighborhood safety are moving forward at the same time. Detectives continue working to establish what happened at the apartment complex, while community leaders are again pressing for changes they believe could reduce the conditions that leave residents feeling unsafe.
Author note: Last updated September 13, 2026.