Dallas police released a short statement on Saturday night after apprehending the shooter.
“On October 14, 2023, at about 7:45 PM Dallas Police responded to a shooting at the Tower Building at the State Fair of Texas. The preliminary investigation determined one man shot at another man. Three people were shot, all have non-life-threatening injuries. The suspect ran from the scene, but officers located the man and took him into custody. A gun was also recovered. The individuals involved have also been identified.”
When the Fair opened this year, it did so with some new security measures in place designed to prevent violent incidents that have marred the annual event in previous years. Among them is a requirement that minors be accompanied by an adult after 5 p.m.
At approximately 7:45 p.m. on Saturday, October 14, a shooting occurred at the State Fair of Texas. Immediately following the incident, the Dallas Police Department evacuated the park and began their investigation. pic.twitter.com/KgERI86ubk
— State Fair of Texas (@StateFairOfTX) October 15, 2023
It is currently unknown whether the gunman brought the weapon in legally. According to the official State Fair website, guns are allowed if the owner has a valid handgun license to carry and does so in a concealed manner, except in areas where it is prohibited by law.
The fair instituted a new "open gate" security screening system this year. In September, Karissa Condoianis, spokesperson for the fair, told Fox4 news this new system speeds up the entrance process while also providing more thorough screening.
"This is going to be where you won't have to take your phone out of your pocket. You won't have to put your bag down. This is going to read through all of that. This is the latest and greatest technology when it comes to detection. We're looking for weapons so this is going to be able to detect any of that as people walk through it," Condoianis told Fox4.
Neither a motive for the attack nor the names of the shooter and victims have been released to the public. DPD said the investigation is ongoing. The fair was evacuated on Saturday night after the shooting at around 8 p.m., well before the usual closing time of 10 p.m.
The Fair is asking people who may have lost items during the incident and subsequent evacuation to email [email protected].
