Erma Qualls, a 22-year-old woman, was shot and killed on July 26, 2026, inside a home in Forney, Texas. Police responded to the residence in the 300 block of Eagle Ridge after receiving reports of gunfire and found Qualls dead at the scene. Some later reports identified her more fully as Shalansia Erma Qualls. Investigators quickly determined that the shooting did not appear to be a random act, describing it as a targeted attack involving people who knew one another. Later reporting from Forney police said Qualls was killed while protecting her child and indicated that she herself was not believed to have been the intended target.
The shooting triggered an immediate search of the Eagle Ridge neighborhood and surrounding streets. Residents were initially warned to remain inside while officers looked for those responsible. Investigators believed two suspects had fled the immediate area shortly after the gunfire, possibly in a vehicle, and eventually ended the neighborhood search after concluding the suspects had likely escaped from Forney. Police continued processing the home and gathering evidence while working with other law-enforcement agencies to identify and locate the people they believed were involved.
Police identified the suspects as Jakub Lavoy East-Walker of Mesquite and Mysiah Dymond Clark of Dallas. East-Walker was taken into custody within days of the killing and charged with murder. Kaufman County jail information later reported that he was formally booked on July 30 on one count of murder connected to the July 26 shooting and was being held on a $1.5 million surety bond. Authorities continued searching for Clark after East-Walker's arrest.
The search for Clark continued for more than a month. On September 4, 2026, Dallas police encountered him during a traffic stop. According to police, Clark got out of the vehicle and attempted to flee, but officers pursued him on foot and captured him after a short chase. He was subsequently held in connection with Qualls' killing and faced a murder charge. The FBI also requested a hold on Clark relating to an allegation of illegally receiving a firearm.
Clark was already facing a separate murder prosecution stemming from the April 19, 2025 shooting death of a 15-year-old boy in Dallas. He had been released on a $100,000 bond in that case and ordered to wear an electronic ankle monitor. Authorities alleged that he later violated the conditions of his release, including removing or cutting off the monitor, and court action was underway concerning his bond around the time Qualls was killed. East-Walker was also reported by police to have been accused in a separate Dallas homicide. Those other allegations are separate from the prosecution arising from Qualls' death.
As of September 2026, both men had been arrested in connection with the Forney homicide. Publicly available reporting had not disclosed a detailed motive, the precise sequence of events inside the home, or what investigators believe the intended target of the attack was. No trial or conviction in Qualls' killing had been reported, and the murder allegations against East-Walker and Clark remained pending criminal accusations that would have to be proven in court.
