Four people were killed and approximately 15 others were injured after multiple overnight shootings in one of Dallas’ vibrant nightlife neighborhoods, police said.
The incidents occurred at three locations, all in the city’s Deep Ellum neighborhood east of downtown.
Several live music venues in the area had advertised Halloween events for that night.
It is unclear whether the shootings took place inside any businesses or on the street, Dallas Police Chief Daniel Comeaux said during a Sunday morning news conference.
Police have not found a connection between the incidents but say they are continuing to investigate, Comeaux said.
The total number of people injured is “still moving a little bit,” according to Comeaux, as some transported themselves for medical care.
The first shooting took place around 12:20 a.m., while the second happened shortly after 1 a.m. and the third shooting in the string occurred about a half hour later, according to a news release from Dallas police, citing the preliminary investigation.
Multiple people have been arrested and are being questioned as police work to identify the shooters, he said, although their possible connection to the shootings is unclear.
All three incidents appear to have been within about a half mile of one another, along streets checkered with restaurants, art galleries, bars and concert venues.
“One of my coworkers just told me she was out, and she had to duck behind a food stand,” said Bri Jason, a hostess at Hawkers Asian Street Food in Deep Ellum.
Jason told CNN she was still in the neighborhood after her closing shift at the restaurant when the first shooting started and said she heard people screaming and saw them running nearby.
The police department had increased its staffing in anticipation of Halloween crowds, the chief said. “We had more presence out here, and this was something that we were ramped up for.”
No officers were injured, police said.
Bars in the area were packed on Halloween, said Jason, who described jammed streets with “100 bodies around you.”
“I’ve been down here a couple years, and you know, it’s nowhere near my first time being caught up in the middle of it,” she added. From her perspective, gun violence in the area feels “very common,” she said.
Its streets splashed with colorful murals, Deep Ellum, whose name evolved from “Deep Elm” thanks to local dialects, refers to itself as “Dallas’ premier arts and entertainment district,” according to its website.
Established in 1873, the post Civil War-era neighborhood holds cultural value as one of the city’s first commercial districts for African Americans and European immigrants, the website says.
Comeaux praised the police department’s “amazing” response time to the shooting scenes, adding one officer successfully performed lifesaving measures on an injured person.
Victims’ identities and the conditions of the injured were not released Sunday morning.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families following the tragic overnight shootings in Deep Ellum,” said City Manager Kimberly Bizor Tolbert in a statement. She said the city will share more information as it becomes available.
The police department is asking the public for photos and videos from the area, Comeaux said in the news conference.
“We’re going to do everything that we need to do to get everyone in custody that’s responsible,” he added.
The overnight incidents took place roughly six months after a pair of overnight shootings within a block of each other in Deep Ellum left a 26-year-old security officer dead and five others injured, according to CNN affiliate KTVT.
CNN has reached out to Dallas police for more information.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
CNN’s Amanda Watts contributed to this report.
