Police arrest 18-year-old for triple murder in Deep Ellum Halloween attacks
Justin Murdock faces capital murder charges for three deaths on South Crowdus Street, part of a wave of violence that left 15 people injured.
By Amina Howard ·
An 18-year-old Dallas resident was taken into custody on Wednesday morning for his role in the Halloween night killings in the Deep Ellum neighborhood. Police confirmed that Justin Murdock is now charged with capital murder of multiple persons. This arrest brings the total number of people killed in the three separate shootings that occurred over 75 minutes on Halloween night to four.
Dallas Police Chief Daniel Comeaux stated that investigators identified Murdock through witness statements, surveillance video, and photographs taken on the night of the incident. He is specifically linked to the third shooting, which occurred around 1:35 a.m. in the 200 block of South Crowdus Street. Three victims died in that specific event, while several others were injured. One injured person remains hospitalized.
The violence began earlier that night. The first shooting took place around 12:20 a.m. in the 2600 block of Elm Street. A second incident followed at approximately 1:05 a.m. in the 2600 block of Main Street. The four deceased victims were identified as 21-year-old Kaniesa Scott, 28-year-old Unique Elise Benjamin, 25-year-old Anthony Martin, and 20-year-old Isaiah Boling. The total number of injured individuals is approximately 15, though that figure remains fluid as some victims sought care at local hospitals on their own.
Officers were stationed in the area to manage the large Halloween crowd. Comeaux noted that in one instance, officers positioned less than two blocks from the scene ran toward the gunfire and performed life-saving measures on at least one victim. The department has been working around the clock to close these cases.
Last week, U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould and Chief Comeaux announced the arrest of 31-year-old David Yancy. Yancy turned himself in within 30 minutes of appearing on a local television segment. He faces seven counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and is also being charged federally as a felon in possession of a firearm. Security footage showed him in a camouflaged hoodie pulling a gun from his waistband in a parking lot on Main Street.
Authorities also arrested Treyveion Demby during the same operation. Demby was wearing a black ski mask and pointed a handgun at Main Street while police responded to the initial calls. He initially refused to surrender the weapon but was subdued after attempting to flee. A background check revealed the gun was stolen in 2017 and that Demby has four prior convictions for aggravated robbery. He was released on parole in September 2025.
Murdock is the latest suspect in a series of arrests related to the Halloween violence. The investigation continues as police review additional evidence and speak with witnesses from the three distinct crime scenes.
