On December 3, 2023, at approximately 4:20 p.m., Dallas Police responded to a shooting at a residence in the 9700 block of Royce Drive. Upon arrival, officers discovered five individuals with gunshot wounds. Three adults—33-year-old Karina Lopez, 50-year-old Jose Lopez, and 20-year-old Vanessa De La Cruz—were pronounced dead at the scene. Two minors, a 15-year-old girl and a 1-year-old boy named Logan De La Cruz, were transported to a local hospital.
Tragically, Logan succumbed to his injuries, while the teenage girl was treated and released. A 13-year-old girl present in the home remained unharmed.
The suspect, identified as 21-year-old Byron Carrillo, was known to the victims. He had been wearing an ankle monitor due to a 2021 aggravated assault charge but had removed it either shortly before or after the attack. Following the shooting, Carrillo fled the scene, stole a vehicle, and headed south on Interstate 35. Law enforcement officers located him near Austin, Texas. After a pursuit, Carrillo crashed the vehicle into a ditch and attempted to flee on foot. As officers closed in, he fatally shot himself in the head. The Texas Rangers are investigating his death.
Family members revealed that Carrillo was the ex-boyfriend of Vanessa De La Cruz and the father of 1-year-old Logan. Vanessa had recently moved back in with her parents, Karina and Jose Lopez, to distance herself from Carrillo due to his history of violence. Despite a court order mandating Carrillo to wear an ankle monitor and prohibiting contact with Vanessa and Jose, he managed to carry out this tragic attack.
This devastating incident has left the community in mourning, as they grapple with the loss of four family members, including a young child. The investigation into the circumstances leading up to the shooting continues, with authorities examining how Carrillo was able to bypass legal restrictions meant to protect the victims.
