Multiple suspects wanted after brawl leads to fatal shooting, injuries at Ferris park, officials say
A 17-year-old boy was killed and another person was injured after a brawl escalated into an exchange of gunfire at a park in Ferris on Saturday, authorities said. Now, multiple suspects are asked to turn themselves in.
Gunfire erupts during fight at Ferris park
A little before 2 p.m., the Ferris Department of Public Safety responded to the incident at Jerry Watson Park in the 300 block of Donna Drive.
Ferris DPS learned through witness accounts and surveillance footage that a fight involving at least 10 people, including juveniles and young adults, escalated when guns were drawn by multiple people, resulting in shots being fired.
DPS said a 17-year-old boy, identified as Sir Robert Wesley Dixon, was shot in the neck by another juvenile during the fight. Dixon was transported to a hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.
Following the initial shooting, DPS said a man retrieved a gun that had been in Dixon's possession and fired multiple rounds in the direction of the juvenile that he believed fired the first shot. A second juvenile was struck by gunfire and later treated.
Officials said both shooters were taken into custody, along with multiple people at the scene.
The juvenile who allegedly shot Dixon, whose name has not been released, has been charged with murder, and the man who fired shots afterward has been charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and unlawful carry of a weapon, DPS confirmed in a news release.
Two more primary suspects wanted in the shooting
DPS said police are still searching for two females who allegedly played a role in the incident.
One, whose age is unknown, is believed to be in possession of the gun that was given to Dixon shortly before the shooting happened. DPS said that although her age is not confirmed, she has been identified as a suspect in the case, and the department anticipates filing charges once she is in custody. Due to her age being unknown, her name is not being released at this time.
The second suspect, identified as Julianna Jazzlean Pargas, is wanted for tampering with evidence, DPS said.
DPS said in addition to the primary suspects, others were seen in surveillance video "physically participating, encouraging violence, or facilitating the conflict through actions or decisions that intensified the situation."
DPS is asking anyone with information concerning the location of these two suspects or anyone else involved in the incident to call the department at 972-544-2225.
The investigation is ongoing. DPS is piecing together a timeline and searching for the suspects with the help of the Ellis County Sheriff's Department and the Ellis County District Attorney's Office.
City manager calls for healing and accountability
Ferris City Manager Brooks Williams issued a statement Sunday, further asking for those involved in the fight and shooting to come forward, and also offering his condolences to the family of the teen killed.
"In the past few days, our city has faced what no community ever hopes to experience," Williams said.
He called the incident at Jerry Watson Park "a product of something deeper," saying violence should never be the answer.
Williams also called on community leaders, including coaches and parents, to "speak life" into the youth and encourage them to be brave enough to speak up if they know anything surrounding the circumstances of the park incident.
"Let us model something greater than division. Let us prove that Ferris will not be remembered for what happened, but for how we rose in response," Williams said.
