A Dallas Park Board member is calling for more safety measures after a fatal shooting at an East Dallas park last week.
On Jan. 22,18-year-old Wornan Padilla Garcia, a senior at Woodrow Wilson High School, was shot at Willis C. Winters Park. He was rushed to a local hospital where he was later pronounced dead. A 16-year-old suspect has been taken into custody and faces murder charges.
At a safety and security committee meeting Friday, District 14 Park and Recreation Board member Rudy Karimi called for enhanced security at the park, including more cameras, increased law enforcement presence and daily K-9 unit sweeps.
“I want to be clear with everyone...this isn't the only direction we're going,” he said. “The only solution is all solutions and that's the direction I want to march towards.”
Karimi said over the last couple of years the department has put in 10 cameras facing several areas of the park; park rangers and officers with the Dallas Marshals Office visited more than 1,100 times between Oct.23 and Jan.25.
The Dallas Independent School District is also involved with monitoring the park.
“This park requires a unique approach, I think we can all agree to that, because the majority of the reported concerns from this park occurred before and during school dismissal,” Karimi said. “The reality of this park is it requires a different level of coordination, visibility and shared responsibility that I hope we can all accept.”
Sgt. Christopher Cisneros with the Marshal’s Office said Willis C. Winters Park was a hotspot for recurring crimes, but interventions have helped in recent years.
“Over the course of time, it has diminished quite a bit,” he said. “We do have more challenges at times. The majority of it’s night and day from where it used to be.”
Cisneros said the marshals will continue their efforts because he sees it has been working.
Karimi said crime can be unpredictable, but steps need to be taken to prevent another incident.
“I understand the clock is ticking, potentially the next tragic incident,” he said. “And while some of us want to just grieve, we understand that not all of us can just grieve. We have to lead and come forward.”
Avery Escamilla-Wendell is KERA’s news intern. Got a tip? Email Avery at aescamillawendell@kera.org. You can follow heron Instagram @by_avery_escamilla.
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