A pre-dawn fight outside an off-campus Denton apartment ended in gunfire today, leaving a man dead and a tight-knit university neighborhood on edge, city officials say. Officers were dispatched at 6:04 a.m. to the 900 block of Avenue A, in the area around the University of North Texas, where they found an unconscious man with an apparent gunshot wound. Police say the alleged shooter is cooperating with investigators and, as of the initial reports, no arrests have been announced.
Official account from Denton police
In a press release, the Denton Police Department said officers responded after a 911 caller reported that a gun had been fired inside an apartment and that medics later pronounced the victim dead at a hospital, according to the City of Denton. The release says witnesses told officers the shooting followed a physical altercation and notes that the Tarrant County Medical Examiner will release the victim’s identity after next-of-kin notification.
What witnesses told reporters
Witnesses who later spoke with local reporters described a dispute that escalated inside the unit before shots were fired, as reported by The Dallas Morning News. That outlet also noted police said the shooter was cooperating with authorities and that no arrests had been made at the time of the early reports.
Investigation and community response
While detectives canvassed the complex and nearby streets looking for surveillance or cellphone video that might clarify the chain of events, regional coverage largely echoed the police account, according to the Cross Timbers Gazette. Authorities have asked anyone with information to contact investigators as the case remains active and the neighborhood processes a deadly shooting just steps from campus.
The city’s public-safety materials say homicide investigations are typically referred to the Denton County District Attorney’s Office for possible grand-jury review. With no charges announced, prosecutors will decide whether to pursue indictments if detectives develop sufficient evidence, the City of Denton’s guidance says…