Marc Strickland, an 18-year-old, was shot during a high school basketball game at Ellis Davis Field House in Dallas on January 11, 2020. The game between South Oak Cliff and Justin F. Kimball High Schools drew more than 600 people when a fight broke out and escalated into gunfire. Strickland was hit in the chest, rushed into surgery, and died of his injuries on January 18, 2020.

A 15-year-old juvenile who later turned himself in was initially charged with aggravated assault; after Strickland’s death the charge was upgraded to murder. In the weeks after the shooting the Dallas ISD put stricter security measures in place at sporting events, including metal detectors and a ban on bags, purses, and backpacks. Strickland’s parents filed a wrongful death lawsuit alleging the district failed to provide reasonable security.

The family and community have called for safer, non-violent ways to settle conflicts and stronger protections at school events. If anyone who attended that game or has information about the fight or the shooting can help, please come forward.