Classmate arrested for recent DeSoto grad's murder in Downtown Dallas

DALLAS - The suspect arrested for the murder of a recent DeSoto High School graduate was a classmate of the victim.

According to the arrest affidavit for 18-year-old Kenaijae Anderson, he and 17-year-old Leroy Hawkins had fought several times before.

Hawkins was headed to Jackson State University on a full-ride scholarship to play football, but police say Anderson shot him to death early Tuesday in Downtown Dallas.

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During Tuesday night’s vigil for LeRoy Hawkins, no one knew at that time that police had another one of his former classmates in custody.

DPD arrested Anderson on Tuesday for the murder of his classmate, LeRoy Hawkins. The two had just graduated from DeSoto High School less than a week before.

The arrest affidavit states that Hawkins and his friend, the driver of a red Pontiac sedan, were “leaving a party and getting into their car that was parked at a pay parking lot” near Akard and Federal Streets after midnight Tuesday when Anderson “walked up to the passenger side door from behind with a gun pointing it saying ‘what’s up now.’”

The driver told police he got out and took off and heard gunshots as he ran away. According to the affidavit, he later told police that Anderson and Hawkins “had several fights at school” and had a history of conflict between the two of them.

The school district did not make any additional comments on Wednesday. Counselors are available for students.