Musician crashed in robbery outside Deep Ellum Hall

The drummer for an indie band based in New York City for a concert at Deep Ellum is hospitalized after being run over by a duo who stole their tour van, his bandmates said on Friday.

Corey Dill, of the Brother Moses group, is expected to survive but undergoes several surgeries at Baylor University Medical Center after being injured on Tuesday, according to a Go Fund Me Account set up by his group mates to help cover medical costs. Doctors said Dill, 28, had a fractured pelvis, a broken collarbone and multiple bone fractures to his face, his colleague James Lockhart said. Dill is still being assessed for internal damage, Lockhart added.

No one had been arrested on Friday, a Dallas Police spokesperson said. A detective contacted the musicians on Thursday, Lockhart said.

“He’s in a good mood, all things considered,” Lockhart said. His group mates had access to him on a daily basis. His wife, who flew from their home in Philadelphia to be by his side, read him supportive comments on social media.

“We’re really thankful for how well he seems to be taking it all in,” Lockhart said.

The incident is the latest in a surge in violent crime in the popular entertainment district east of the city center. Dallas Police Chief Eddie García has vowed to curb the increase in violence.

The musicians were scheduled to perform Tuesday night at the Deep Ellum Art Co., 3200 Commerce St. Around 8:30 p.m., half an hour before their set, Dill and guitarist Moses Gomez saw a man they didn’t know come out of the driver. next to their parked van. Dill saw the man had his backpack and laptop, Lockhart said. The group has since discovered that around $ 2,000 in music equipment was also missing, Lockhart said.

They also determined that the stranger broke the keyhole in the driver’s side door to get into the van, Lockhart said.

Dill and Gomez chased the man who ran towards a black or dark gray GMC Sierra in a nearby alley that Dallas police suspect was a getaway vehicle. The driver bumped into Dill and crushed him as they were fleeing. Dill’s group mates said the owner of the place took them to the hospital.

Lockhart said the man who broke into the van was white and was wearing black baggy pants and a red baseball cap. They estimate his height to be between 5 feet 6 inches and 5 feet 9 inches. Dill and Gomez did not see the driver when they were outside, but Lockhart said corporate security footage showed him outside before the incident. The driver was stocky with dark hair in a trendy cut, Lockhart said. He wore fitted beige clothes and a black mask over his face and nose.

The Sienna had customizations, including distinct deep rims, a large scratch on the roof top, and a foldable cover on the truck bed, Lockhart said.

Police encourage anyone with information to contact Crime Stoppers at 214-373-8477. The hotline is answered 24 hours a day.

The group canceled the remainder of their 18-city tour. They had eight shows scheduled after Dallas.

Doctors predict Dill could be hospitalized for at least a month, Lockhart said. The owners of Deep Ellum Art Co. loaned an apartment to Dill’s family and fellow students, Lockhart said.

“It was a real big blessing for us,” Lockhart said.

Lockhart said they heard about the rise in violence in Deep Ellum, where they had previously performed, and didn’t want businesses to suffer.

Crime in Deep Ellum

Last month, two teenagers were killed and four others, including a 15-year-old girl, were injured in an outdoor shooting near the intersection of North Malcolm X Boulevard and Main Street.

In late August, a man speeding through Deep Ellum in a pickup truck was arrested for crashing into his truck with a pedestrian, a Dallas police horse and a drunken car. About a week later, a man was fatally stabbed near Main Street and the Good Latimer Expressway. The killer fled.

At least two people were shot dead in Deep Ellum in mid-July when several gunmen opened fire near Main and Crowdus streets. Police have not released any information about the arrests.

The police chief said the department recorded 10 shootings – including one fatal and two motivated by road rage – during those summer months this year. The other death, he said, was the stabbing in August.

García said aggravated assaults in the Deep Ellum region are slightly higher this year than last year, with around 77 reported between May and September 2021, up from around 70 during this period last year.

He said Deep Ellum is a priority for police and some small areas in the neighborhood are among 51 newly identified hot spots the department has chosen to see increased visibility for police as part of the violent crime reduction plan. of the chief.