On October 17, 2024, at about 2:20 p.m., Dallas police responded to a shooting behind the Dallas International Street Church in the 2700 block of Second Avenue. Officers found 32-year-old Mercedes Taylor in a field with multiple gunshot wounds, including one to the shoulder. She was taken to a hospital and later died of her injuries.

Witnesses identified 21-year-old Damarquis Green as the suspect; one witness said Green shot Taylor, causing her to fall, and another said Taylor had kicked Green before the shooting. Officers found Green at the scene with a handgun tucked into his front waistband. An officer reported that Green admitted to the shooting, saying he shot her. He was arrested and booked on murder, drug possession and unlawful possession of a firearm charges, with bonds set at $501,500.

The motive is unclear and authorities have not disclosed whether Taylor and Green knew each other. Friends at the church remembered Taylor for an infectious personality and a readiness to help others. Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective Emmanuel Romano at 214-671-4096 or [email protected].

Did anyone in the area witness what led up to the shooting or know whether Taylor and Green had a prior relationship?