Grandmother grieves after South Dallas shooting kills 1, injures 8; no arrests made yet

Thelma Oudems’ faith in God is strong, but she has been tested in recent weeks.

She said she had already been grieving the death of a family member when she learned Sunday morning that her granddaughter was killed in a mass shooting in South Dallas.

“She just picked the wrong night to go out, and that’s it,” Oudems said Sunday afternoon in front of her Far East Dallas apartment.

Her granddaughter, Coriesha Bradford, 21, died at a hospital after the shooting in the 4500 block of Collins Avenue, which police say stemmed from a party. Eight others were injured, but are expected to survive.

Oudems said Bradford’s friends visited her throughout Sunday to comfort her.

“She was loved,” Oudems said.

On Sunday afternoon, multiple groups of residents were seen sitting in lawn chairs and gathering on the sidewalks down Collins Avenue with their family and friends. Periodically, Dallas police patrol vehicles crept down the narrow neighborhood road.

Two small bouquets could be seen in a small patch of grass near where police say the fatal shooting occurred — next to a single gold-colored hoop earring.

Authorities were still trying to determine how the shooting started, but people who live in the area said they think it could have been prevented and that they’re angry with how police responded.

Officers arrived at the 4500 block of Collins Avenue about 11:10 p.m. Saturday in response to a shooting call and determined a crowd had moved into the street after a large party ended, police said.

The gunfire stopped when officers arrived, and police remained in the area to monitor the crowd, according to a Sunday morning news release.

More gunfire erupted at the location shortly after 1:30 a.m., hitting nine adults in the crowd, police said. An update from officials Sunday afternoon said 45 to 50 people were in the crowd at the time.

Lisa Mitchell, 49, said she was one of multiple neighbors who called police around 11 p.m. She said officers “drove through” the area but thinks they should have done more to investigate.

“What are we paying DPD for? We have to work to provide for our families, but do your job you signed up for,” Mitchell said. “That’s what I don’t understand. If you had gotten up when I called you and said something, you would have had a lot of people in handcuffs.”

Officers were patrolling when the second round of gunfire began, Dallas police spokeswoman Kristin Lowman told reporters Sunday morning. She said officers cannot disperse people unless criminal activity occurs.

“While the preliminary investigation determined officers who responded did not observe criminal activity among the people in the area at the time, this event ultimately led to tragic consequences,” said Dallas police Chief Eddie García. “I’ve ordered an internal investigation to determine if we could have handled the circumstances of this call differently.”

After the shooting, seven women and two men were taken to hospitals by Dallas Fire-Rescue and private vehicles, police said.

Detectives believe one person fired into the crowd and multiple other people also began shooting.

As of late Sunday morning, police said they didn’t know how many people fired weapons or how many rounds were shot. Lowman said detectives were investigating who fired shots and why.

Police were not able to provide a suspect description Sunday morning but said the shooting may have been gang-related. Lowman declined to comment on how police determined there may have been gang involvement, citing the pending investigation, but she said the shooting was “not a random crime.”

Oudems said she was still trying to process the grief of losing her family members.

She remembered Bradford as someone who loved music and had a beautiful singing voice.

“She was an old soul, because she was with me. They wanted her to sing at church,” Oudems said. “Yesterday, she was talking about how she was going to go to church today.”

Oudems said she found some comfort in the message of Houston-based televangelist Joel Osteen’s sermon Sunday morning — something she and her granddaughter would often watch together.

“You give it to God. He’s going to take care of everything,” Oudems said. “Just give it to him. That’s what I’ve been doing all my life.”

The investigation is ongoing, and anyone with information can contact Dallas police Detective Phillip Wheeler at 214-671-3686 or phillip.wheeler@dallaspolice.gov and reference case No. 058327-2024.

This shooting continued a weekend stretch of deadly violence in Dallas.

Isaiah Blasig-Prickett, 20, died after being shot early Friday in Love Field; Shaketta Johnson, 30, was found shot to death in her vehicle about 12:30 a.m. Saturday in east Oak Cliff; Sofonias Eduardo Gonzalez Morgan, 27, died about 1:10 a.m. Saturday after being shot in northwest Dallas; and a man who has not yet been publicly identified died after he and two others were shot about 8:40 p.m. Saturday in east Oak Cliff.

“Every day the men and women of this department work to keep our city safe,” García said. “It’s important that we gather all the facts before coming to any conclusions. I am committed to the highest level of accountability, professionalism and transparency for the Dallas Police Department.”