It took place in a field off Cleveland Road in southeast Oak Cliff. Called the Epic Easter Bike Out and Field Party, the event was supposed to offer a performance by Memphis-based rapper Big Boogie. According to WFAA, flyers for the event said security would be provided, in part, by DPD.
The problem is, the event didn’t have a permit and 16 people ended up getting injured.
Big Boogie didn’t show up, and the crowd that had grown to more than 2,000 people started getting restless. At a press conference about the shooting this week, DPD Chief Eddie Garcia said someone fired a gun into the air. That’s when a fight broke out and another person shot into the crowd.
Garcia said officers should have never been given permission to work the event. The department is now prohibiting officers from working events that don't have permits if the crowd will exceed 100 guests. But the department seems to be placing most of the blame on the promoters for throwing an event that wasn’t permitted.
”The reality of it is that [the event] was an unpermitted sponsored event that drew the crowds that didn’t have the safety protocols in place,” Garcia said.
He spoke with Mayor Eric Johnson on Monday about changes to the permitting ordinance and the possibility of creating a new ordinance to conduct background checks on promoters.
“We want to make sure if there are promoters promoting events, there’s a strong background [check] on those promoters and the events they are bringing to our city,” Garcia said. “That needs to be done.”
In a written statement on Wednesday, City Manager T.C. Broadnax said he supports Garcia’s recommendation for the new ordinance: “As such, I have asked DPD to work with the City Attorney’s Office to investigate creating an ordinance to ensure promoter, vendor, and site accountability; adequate public safety/security at events; and permit oversight and enforcement for violation of these standards.””The reality of it is that [the event] was an unpermitted sponsored event that drew the crowds that didn’t have the safety protocols in place." – Dallas Police Chief Eddie Garcia
tweet this
Broadnax said City Council members would discuss the incident further at Monday’s Public Safety Committee meeting. Still, Broadnax wanted to remind everyone that the city isn't doing too bad when it comes to violent crime. During the latest reporting period, street-level violent crime had dropped 66 percent across the 47 crime grids that DPD tracks, Broadnax said. About half of those grids are in southern Dallas.
But some people online familiar with the promoters feel they’re being made scapegoats. The promoter goes by Bossman Bubba, and people flocked to his Facebook page to say they support him.
“For everyone saying Bossman Bubba scammed them, he ain’t ever,” one person wrote. “We just can’t ever have shit cause [motherfuckers] ruin it.”
“I don’t understand why y’all talking bout this man like it’s his fault!!” another person wrote. “Bossman Bubba you did good!! I was having fun! Can’t nobody control other people!!”
Another person wrote: “We as a trail ride family and community need to get together and back Bossman Bubba because he didn’t do this and he needs our support right now. The people that did this [are] not even in the trail ride world and it makes us look bad and I hate it.”
The promoter didn't respond to a request for comment.
The person who died was 26-year-old Kealon Dejuane Gilmore. Police found his body near the stage with a gunshot wound to his head. He went to the event with his younger brother.
Shalonda "Londa" Gilmore, Kealon’s mom, has addressed her son’s death in several social media posts since it happened. In one of her posts, Shalonda shares text messages she exchanged with her son before they went to the event. “Y’all please be careful,” Shalonda said in the text.
Kealon responded, “Most definitely, Momma.”
On Facebook, Shalonda said her son had just celebrated his 26th birthday two weeks before he was killed. The family is urging anyone with information about the shooters to come forward.
“I’m angry, I’m numb and in disbelief, even though I saw my son laying there lifeless and cold and lord know he do not like to be cold,” Shalonda wrote in a post on Wednesday. “We are still asking for help with anyone who knows anything about the shooters that took our son’s life, and the incident that will have his little brother traumatized for the rest of his life because he witnessed his brother’s death right in front of him.”
