David Yancy is accused of opening fire on a crowded Main Street, injuring seven people during a violent Halloween weekend in Dallas.
DALLAS, TX— A man accused of opening fire on a crowded Deep Ellum street during Halloween weekend surrendered to Dallas police and now faces seven state aggravated assault charges and a federal firearms charge, authorities announced Thursday.
David Yancy turned himself in to the Dallas Police Department on Nov. 4, according to Dallas police and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas. Authorities allege Yancy fired into a crowd near 2626 Main St. shortly after 1 a.m. Nov. 1, striking seven people. Federal prosecutors said all seven suffered injuries that were not life-threatening. The shooting was one of three outbreaks of gunfire in Deep Ellum that left four people dead and 15 injured during the Halloween weekend.
Dallas police said Yancy is charged with seven counts of aggravated assault involving a mass shooting, which the department described as first-degree felony offenses. Federal prosecutors separately charged him by criminal complaint with being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. A criminal complaint contains allegations, and Yancy is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
Federal court documents say officers responded to reports of gunfire on Main Street at about 1 a.m. Investigators recovered 11 spent 9 mm cartridge casings and projectiles from the scene. Prosecutors said surveillance cameras recorded a man later identified by investigators as Yancy removing a handgun from his waistband, manipulating the firearm and putting it back before the shooting began.
Additional surveillance footage allegedly showed Yancy drawing the gun again and firing in multiple directions into the crowd, according to federal authorities. Investigators said witness interviews, anonymous tips and surveillance footage were used to identify him. Yancy later contacted Dallas police and surrendered before being taken into custody by the department’s Fugitive Unit.
The Main Street shooting occurred during a roughly 75-minute period in which Dallas police responded to three shooting scenes across Deep Ellum. Police said the first shooting was reported at about 12:20 a.m. in the 2600 block of Elm Street, followed by the Main Street shooting shortly after 1 a.m. and another shooting at about 1:35 a.m. in the 200 block of South Crowdus Street.
Four people died across the shootings. Dallas police identified the victims as Isaiah Boling, 20, who was shot in the Elm Street incident, and Anthony Martin, 25, Unique Benjamin, 28, and Kaniesa Scott, 21, who were killed in the South Crowdus Street shooting. Yancy has been accused in connection with the Main Street shooting that wounded seven people, not the fatal shootings at the other locations.
The violence prompted federal and local authorities to launch Operation Deep Cover, a coordinated effort aimed at violent crime and illegal firearms in Dallas entertainment and commercial districts. U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould said the initiative brings together federal, state and local law enforcement resources, with a particular focus on areas such as Deep Ellum.
Federal prosecutors said a review of Yancy’s criminal history showed a previous felony conviction in Dallas County. They also said he was on deferred adjudication probation in a child endangerment case and had an active warrant related to an alleged probation violation at the time of the shooting. Those circumstances are cited by federal authorities as part of the basis for the firearm charge.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted an interstate commerce analysis of ammunition recovered from the scene, prosecutors said. Federal law generally bars people with qualifying felony convictions from possessing firearms or ammunition that have moved in interstate commerce. Prosecutors said Yancy could face up to 15 years in federal prison if convicted of the federal offense.
The ATF and Dallas Police Department are continuing the investigation under Operation Deep Cover. Authorities have not announced that Yancy is suspected of causing any of the four deaths from the separate Deep Ellum shootings. He remains in custody as the state and federal cases proceed.
Author note: Last updated November 5, 2026.