Courtesy Dallas County
Audio By Carbonatix
DeSoto singer Jada Arnell Thomas was shot Saturday while signing autographs after a performance at The Black Academy of Arts and Letters (TBAAL) in downtown Dallas.
The incident came after a 3 p.m. matinee of The Bitches, a theatrical work co-starring Thomas, alongside Lucki Azariah and K Woods.
The 26-year-old vocalist was hit in the chest, and transported to a local hospital, where she is recovering.
Micah Williams was arrested in connection with the shooting, and according to Dallas police, was “suffering a mental health episode” when firing her gun at Thomas. Williams, also 26, faces a charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Williams is being held in the Dallas County jail, in lieu of $200,000 bail.
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According to multiple reports, it is unclear whether Thomas, who is a graduate of the Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, and Williams knew one another.
Curtis King, the founder and president of TBAAL, said in a Nov. 3 statement, shared on Facebook and titled “Life is a Sudden and Mysterious Puzzle,” that Thomas was “going to be okay.”
“It is eerie to know that we now live in the kind of world with people who seem to be bent on doing harm to other people, many times for no apparent and sensible reason,” King said, in part. “Pray for all of us that have been blessed by Jada’s music and ministry and will continue to do so … there’s more work to come from Jada Arnell.”
In an additional, separate statement, also shared on Facebook, King outlined a series of “enhanced safety measures” the performance venue will be implementing in the wake of this violent incident, including “amplifying” its screening processes, and reducing the number of points of entry to prohibit weapons from entering the venue.
“For 48 years, TBAAL has proudly maintained a tradition of safe, family-oriented events and a welcoming environment,” King said, in part. “As we continue forward, our mission to enrich the community through the arts remains unwavering. We extend our gratitude to all who stand with us during this time, and we assure you of our steadfast commitment to safety and excellence.”
This past weekend was a particularly restive one for live performance. Later on Saturday, not far from TBAAL’s downtown location at the Music Hall in Fair Park, British singer-songwriter Morrissey abruptly ended his concert there, after an onstage invasion of fans swarmed the 65-year-old artist and appeared to threaten his safety.
