A 22-year-old suspect was arrested following a Saturday night shooting at the State Fair of Texas that left three people with “non-threatening injuries,” according to the Dallas Police Department.
At around 7:45 p.m. Saturday, Dallas Police responded to a shooting at the fair’s Tower Building after a “preliminary investigation determined one man shot at another man.
“Since then, the department revealed that the shooting involved three adult victims, including two men and a women, who were “last listed in stable condition.”
Cameron Turner, 22, was arrested and charged with three counts of aggravated assault, the department revealed.
“The suspect ran from the scene, but officers located the man and took him into custody,” the DPD shared in a release. “A gun was also recovered. The individuals involved have also been identified. The investigation is ongoing.”
“The State Fair of Texas is a treasured event – a celebration of food, family, and fun,” Dallas Mayor Eric L. Johnson shared to social media. “Although this incident was isolated, I am outraged that anyone would choose to act out violently at the Fair.”
“We will not tolerate this behavior. I know @DallasPD, which patrols our Fair, will work with @StateFairOfTX to ensure the rest of the event is safe for everyone.”
Footage from the fairgrounds on Saturday night, shared by CBS News, shows families running for cover during the aftermath of the shooting. Around that time, the fair shared an Emergency Order calling for an evacuation.
“We were just getting on to the Ferris wheel and we heard screaming,” one fairgoer told the outlet. “We didn’t hear shots and then everyone started running towards the exit. The workers would not tell us what had happened and just told us the fair was closed.”
“There were many police that were heavily armed at the exits and police throughout being very stern, ushering everyone to go home.”
Dallas City Council member Adam R. Bazaldua revealed after the shooting that the city manager informed him that the shooting took place at the fair’s food court and “sparked from a conflict between two people who knew each other.”
“It’s one thing to have a right to bear arms, it’s another to have legislation, like permit-less carry, that makes it easier for senseless acts of gun violence like this to be carried out in our state,” Bazaldua wrote on X. “I wish our Republican friends in Austin would pass meaningful gun legislation to help our constituents feel safe in public.”
Local station WFAA reported, citing sources, that the suspect told detectives he fired his weapon out of self defense and was aiming at the ground as he felt threatened when people approached him.
Sources also told the outlet that the victims said they did not see anyone shooting at them, and one allegedly couldn’t remember what happened.
The shooting comes weeks after the fair announced new safety measures, including a weapons detection system and bag searches, for fairgoers, per CBS.
According to the fair’s website, “no weapons of any kind are permitted on the fairgrounds” — including “firearms, knives, clubs, tasers, chemical dispensing devices,” with sharp metal objects such as “pocketknives, scissors, and other sharp implements” also prohibited.
“The Fair has long allowed Fair attendees with valid handgun licenses to carry their handguns in a concealed manner while attending the Fair (except for locations prohibited by law),” the site also reads. “The State Fair will not allow unlicensed gun owners to enter the fairgrounds with a firearm.”
