A Sunday afternoon in Dallas turned deadly when a shooter opened fire in a home on the 9700 block of Royce Drive, claiming the lives of three adults and a one-year-old boy. Authorities responded to the incident at approximately 4:20 pm on December 3. Upon arrival, officers discovered five individuals suffering from gunshot wounds, according to the Dallas Police Department.
The victims included 50-year-old Jose Lopez, 33-year-old Karina Lopez, and 20-year-old Vanessa DeLaCruz, all of whom were pronounced dead at the scene. A 15-year-old girl and a one-year-old boy were quickly transported to a local hospital, where the child later died from his injuries. Also in the home, a 13-year-old girl was found unharmed during the shooting.
Dallas police have identified 21-year-old Byron Carillo as the suspect in the string of shootings. Carillo, who was on an ankle monitor following a 2021 Aggravated Assault charge, allegedly cut off the device before or after committing the violent acts. Following the shooting, Carillo is said to have fled the scene, later stealing a vehicle and leading police on a chase that ended just outside Austin. As officers closed in, Carillo reportedly took his own life, per the Dallas Police Department.
The Texas Rangers are currently investigating Carillo's death in custody, with Highway Patrol having located the suspect after an attempted getaway. The chaos of the pursuit ended with Carillo crashing the vehicle in a ditch and subsequently shooting himself in the head. For their part, the Dallas Police Department continues their probe into the homicides under case number 215117-2023. Though the suspect has died, reports from Hoodline suggest that this occurrence, while tragic, appears to be an isolated incident and does not pose an ongoing threat to the public at large.
