The Dallas-area Red Roof Inn was the site of a violent incident on Monday, with a man seriously wounded and a near tragedy involving a toddler. Law enforcement officials have identified the suspect as 26-year-old De J. Thorpe, Jr. and have issued felony arrest warrants for Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon and Deadly Conduct-Discharge of a Firearm. The White Settlement Police Department reported that Thorpe is currently on the run and is considered dangerous, as the firearm used in the shooting has not been found.
Detectives are urging anyone with information on Thorpe’s location to come forward and have provided multiple avenues for the public to assist while maintaining anonymity. Tips can be submitted by calling 911, directly contacting Detective Gonzalez at 817-246-4973, emailing [email protected], or through Tarrant County Crime Stoppers at 817-469-TIPS. The seriousness of the incident, heightened by the fact that an innocent child was nearly caught in the crossfire, has escalated the urgency in apprehending the assailant.
The victim of the shooting has been released from the hospital and is expected to make a full recovery. Yet the shadow of violence that fell upon the Red Roof Inn that day cannot be so easily dispelled. Community safety remains a primary concern, and authorities are working tirelessly to ensure that the suspect is taken into custody before any other person can be harmed.
