3 Dead In Dallas Freeway Shootout
A police officer runs across a street in the University district in Seattle close to where a gunman opened fire at a cafe, May 30, 2012. / AP Photo/Elaine Thompson
A man with a shotgun opened fire on motorists and police who stopped to help with what appeared to be a wreck on a downtown freeway early Sunday, killing two people and wounding two others before taking his own life, authorities said.
Authorities say they may never know why 20-year-old Nick A. Salinas of Cedar Hill started shooting. He killed himself with the shotgun used in the slayings.
Dallas police identified the victims as Robert Daniel Langston, 22, of Duncanville, and Jesus Reyes Terrazas, Jr., 24, of Dallas. Both apparently had stopped to offer help.
"It appeared that each of these victims thought that they were providing roadside assistance to an accident victim when they were brutally shot without any motive that we know of," said Lt. Vernon Hale, a Dallas police spokesman.
Witnesses told investigators they stopped to help a motorist on the side of Interstate 35 when someone inside the car shot at them. One witness left in his car after the shooter pointed a gun at him, police said.
Terrazas was part of a group of four who saw what they believed was an accident before officers arrived and turned around to help. Someone in the group returned fire, Hale said.
"Certainly I'm sure he was just trying to protect himself," he said.
Officers spotted two people lying on the side of the road and stopped to help, unaware of the shootout, police said. As one officer aided a person on the ground, his partner, Senior Cpl. Jerry Poston, was shot.
"No officers from the Dallas Police Department fired any shots that we know of," Hale said.
Poston, a 17-year veteran of the department, was hospitalized at Methodist Central in serious but stable condition, police said. His family asked that no information about him be released, said Lynette Wilkinson, a spokeswoman for Methodist Dallas Medical Center.
Police identified the other wounded man as Barry David Smith, 30, of Fort Worth. Police said he was in stable condition with serious injuries.
A woman at Terrazas' home said the family was still grieving and declined to comment. A phone call made to Salinas' home Sunday evening went unanswered. Poston's partner was not identified.
© 2009 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Authorities say they may never know why 20-year-old Nick A. Salinas of Cedar Hill started shooting. He killed himself with the shotgun used in the slayings.
Dallas police identified the victims as Robert Daniel Langston, 22, of Duncanville, and Jesus Reyes Terrazas, Jr., 24, of Dallas. Both apparently had stopped to offer help.
"It appeared that each of these victims thought that they were providing roadside assistance to an accident victim when they were brutally shot without any motive that we know of," said Lt. Vernon Hale, a Dallas police spokesman.
Witnesses told investigators they stopped to help a motorist on the side of Interstate 35 when someone inside the car shot at them. One witness left in his car after the shooter pointed a gun at him, police said.
Terrazas was part of a group of four who saw what they believed was an accident before officers arrived and turned around to help. Someone in the group returned fire, Hale said.
"Certainly I'm sure he was just trying to protect himself," he said.
Officers spotted two people lying on the side of the road and stopped to help, unaware of the shootout, police said. As one officer aided a person on the ground, his partner, Senior Cpl. Jerry Poston, was shot.
"No officers from the Dallas Police Department fired any shots that we know of," Hale said.
Poston, a 17-year veteran of the department, was hospitalized at Methodist Central in serious but stable condition, police said. His family asked that no information about him be released, said Lynette Wilkinson, a spokeswoman for Methodist Dallas Medical Center.
Police identified the other wounded man as Barry David Smith, 30, of Fort Worth. Police said he was in stable condition with serious injuries.
A woman at Terrazas' home said the family was still grieving and declined to comment. A phone call made to Salinas' home Sunday evening went unanswered. Poston's partner was not identified.
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You missed Rushlimpdrugs spelling mistake, unless he was trying to call you sweaty. LOL
But I think he was trying to say kind, sweet soul.
_______________________
Yeah, right! Early Sunday in Dallas meant that I was still in bed on the west coast. Maybe I should have gotten up earlier...
Certainly we all aren't to blame for the actions of a single person. You should have used a few more of your allowed 1500 characters to explain your theory.
Your first six words lead me to believe that you are too full of yourself. They don't lend any additional credibility to your bizarre statement.
Being a "professor" in the U.S. has a very broad meaning. A person doesn't need an advanced degree to be considered a professor. Being a "professor" of World Studies could mean that a person simply teaches "current affairs" at the local community college.
POPPYCOCK!!!
Posted by psycho7378
Too funny!
I want to point out one thing though for you people who would like to see guns made illegal. Take a step back to the prohibition error when Acohoic beverages were outlawed. Now take note on what happened, people began to make their own, sell it, etc... If someone was looking for whiskey they could get their hands on it any time they wanted, everyone knew the local 'bootlegger'.
Now apply the same principle to outlawing guns. Eveyone would know where to find a gun, most criminals would never give up their guns, and the citizens that did abide by the law and turn over their guns would be the targets of criminals. Point is that no matter what you do people are going to get their hands on a gun.... I mean heck look at illegal drugs...they've been illegal for years, but go to most high schools and you can find somone that knows where to get the drugs.
The key is good control. Gun control is debated but the fact is no matter how well the gun control laws are written these idiots will get their hands on a gun. You just have to make it as difficult as you can for them to.
Criminals prefer unarmed victims.
Self Defense:
A-HUMAN-RIGHT.com
Just shows how ignorant some folks are.