Third deadly DART incident in three months

By Nomaan Merchant
Associated Press

DALLAS — Local and federal authorities offered to help secure Dallas-area bus and train stations Wednesday after a shootout on a platform in Richardson left two people dead, the latest in a string of violent incidents on Dallas mass transit, an agency spokesman said.

Richardson police identified the suspect who allegedly instigated Tuesday’s shootout as 27-year-old Cory Jones of Dallas.

A man got into an argument with a bus driver when his bus pass was rejected, Richardson Police Sgt. Kevin Perlich said. The driver saw DART police officer Nikisha Manderson outside his bus and went to talk to her.

The man left the bus and crossed to a nearby light rail station, where Manderson confronted him, Perlich said.

When Manderson asked the man to take his hands out of his pocket, he pulled out a gun and opened fire, Perlich said. Manderson fired back.

Two passengers standing on the platform were hurt by the crossfire. Eric Johnson, 42, died of his injuries, and 54-year-old Russell Weinstein was later released from the hospital. Manderson was hurt, but released from the hospital Wednesday and rejoined the investigation, Ball said.

Other DART officers pursued the man and exchanged fire with him in a nearby warehouse, Perlich said. Jones was found dead.

Perlich said it was too soon to confirm the sequence of gunfire, and a forensics report would likely take a couple of weeks to complete.