(DALLAS) — Two suspected gunmen were arrested in connection with a mass shooting at a concert in Dallas last month that left one man dead and 16 people injured, including three juveniles, police said Thursday.
The suspects were identified as Astonial Calhoun, 25, and Devojiea Givens, 26, according to police. They were arrested Wednesday by Dallas police, the U.S. Marshals Service North Texas Fugitive Task Force and the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Crime Task Force, officials said.
Both men were charged with felony deadly conduct and were being held Thursday at the Dallas County Jail, pending an arraignment, according to the Dallas Police Department.
Dallas homicide investigators found evidence connecting Calhoun and Givens to the shooting that occurred in the early morning hours of April 3 at the Second Annual Epic Easter Bike Out & Field Party, police said in a statement. The event was billed as a family-fun trail ride and outdoor concert.
During a news conference Thursday afternoon, Dallas Police Chief Eddie Garcia declined to disclose what evidence led homicide detectives to arrest Calhoun and Givens.
“A preliminary investigation has determined that following a fight that broke out at the event, Calhoun and Givens both fired handguns,” Garcia said. “The preliminary investigation determined Givens and Calhoun shot into the crowd.”
At the time of shooting, Givens was free on bond after being arrested in late January on another deadly conduct charge stemming from an incident in the Dallas suburb of Hutchins, Garcia said.
Garcia said the investigation is ongoing and detectives are working to identify other suspects they allege fired weapons, as well as those involved in the fight that preceded the shooting.
“Our thoughts continue to be with our victims, their families and we have an incredible team of men and women working this case to find those who were ultimately responsible,” Garcia said.
Attorney information for the two men arrested was not immediately available.
Police asked that anyone with video footage or photos of the fight and shooting to upload them to the police department’s evidence collection online portal.
A witness told ABC affiliate station WFAA in Dallas that the event was “jam-packed” with people and described a chaotic scene as gunfire prompted concert goers to run in all directions seeking cover. The chaos prevented police and emergency vehicle from quickly entering the scene to treat victims.
Police said the organizers of the concert that drew about 2,000 people did not have a permit to hold the event or an emergency plan.
The event’s organizer, Germaud Lyons, who goes by the nickname Bossman Bubba, said in a statement on Facebook April 3 that he was saddened by the shooting and blamed the incident on a higher than expected turnout.
“We took the necessary steps to offer safety by having Dallas Police officers and security personnel on scene. Additionally, emergency officers and vehicles were on standby. However, some things were still out of our control,” the statement said.
The person killed was identified by police as 26-year-old Kealon Dejuane Gilmore. Police said Gilmore was found lying near the stage with a gunshot wound to the head and was pronounced dead at the scene.
Sixteen other people were injured in the shooting and taken to hospitals in private vehicles or by ambulances, police said.
Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.