Bystander caught in South Dallas shooting speaks out

DALLAS - In a South Dallas neighborhood plagued by gun violence, two innocent people became victims of a shooting.

One of the shooting victims died. The other victim was a young woman who was taking a friend back to her car on a night out. The bullet that struck her is still lodged in her head.

The shooting was a classic case of innocent bystanders being in a very bad place at exactly the wrong time.  It cost one young man his life and left a young woman with a bullet lodged in her head.

Just before 1 a.m. Sunday, 28-year-old Troylett Dorsey was parked at a stop light at Malcolm X and Elsie Faye Heggins Street, driving a friend to her car after a night out.

“We was just sitting in the car waiting for the light to change and somebody just started shooting,” she recalled. “I heard the big, loud noise after it hit the window. Then, I felt the hit to my head."

Not far away, another innocent bystander was caught in the crossfire. It was 26-year-old Dareon Merchant who was killed by a stray bullet while he sat in his car.

"It was very scary,” Dorsey said. “And I didn't know what to think. I thought I was going to die."

Dorsey said paramedics quickly arrived and got her to the hospital.

Antong Lucky was coming out of his office that was on the same corner. He says that particular street corner has long been plagued by gun violence. In fact, he helped organize a Stop the Violence Walk in his neighborhood exactly one month ago.

"The day before the walk, someone got shot in the head,” he recalled. “The day after the walk, somebody got shot. So we’ve been crying to the city, crying to the police department that they need to do something about this area.”

Dorsey credits God and prayer for her narrow escape from death. 

"I grew up in the church real strong. At the end of the day, that's what I believe in,” she said. “I think that saved me the most.

One witness told FOX 4 he thinks a drug deal was involved, but nobody seems to know for sure what sparked the gunfire.

Dallas police are asking for help in solving this crime. Crime Stoppers is offering a $5,000 reward for anyone with information that would lead to arrest and indictment.