Texas Dance Studio Shooting Leaves Two Dead, Another Orlando?

This may not be as ghastly as the Orlando mass murder, but the Texas dance studio shooting incident in which two people were killed might be the work of a similar anti-social group.

Two persons were killed and several others were injured in a shooting outside the dance studio in Texas on early Saturday morning, reported The Guardian. Strangely, Studio 74 in Fort Worth is situated on a state highway near a police station amidst multiple businesses and restaurants.

According to the owner of the studio, the dance group was not scheduled to be present. Responding to the Texas dance studio shooting, Laura Reyna, owner and artistic director of the studio, explained that the gathering was an unauthorized event. Reyna said she did not even know the group was there until one of her instructors called her at 12.45 a.m. to report a commotion at the facility, according to The Guardian.

Reyna said, “I would consider it trespassing just for the fact that as the owner and operator of this facility I did not know, nor was there an exchange of any formal contract for people to be inside there,” according to The Guardian.

Officers found one victim dead outside Studio 74 in Fort Worth, and several other injured victims were transported to hospitals – one of whom died from his injuries, said Daniel Segura, a Fort Worth police spokesman, responding to the Texas dance studio shooting.

Jason Moore, a staff at the dance studio, said he used a towel to compress the chest of one of the victims, who later died at the scene. “He got hit in the lungs, so there was no coming back for him,” Moore said, reported The Guardian.

Police have still not figured out what time the shooting occurred. Segura said homicide detectives were investigating the Texas dance studio shooting.

A peek inside the studio showed that the facility was a mess. Broken glass and plastic cups were scattered across the floor. Chairs and assorted garbage – including empty liquor bottles – were seen outside the building. Messages left with Fort Worth police seeking additional information about the Texas dance studio shooting were not immediately returned.

Studio 74’s website said the facility brings “dance programming to underserved communities and the general public to reach audiences and participants of all ages, abilities, ethnicities, and socio-economic backgrounds. “This is accomplished through presenting performances, teaching residencies, workshops and master classes in schools, community centers, workplaces, shopping centers, museums, parks, festivals, landmarks and other targeted locations throughout the Metroplex,” the website said.

“I’m very heartfelt for the family and victims,” Reyna said responding to the Texas dance studio shooting. “This is a place, it’s a nonprofit organization. We deal in hip-hop culture and we cater to our community. It’s a safe haven… We dance, we compete. We try to stay away from events like this that happen.”

Meanwhile, the official Facebook page of Studio 74 said, “To all studio family, fans and supporters, first I would like to think [sic] all of you for the calls, concerns and prayers that have been sent my way. I’m writing to respond to your concerns in regards to the incident that occurred in the parking lot of studio 74. We as dance family had no involvement with the incident that occurred last night. Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families. Please continue to pray for them.”

So far, the cops have not shared any details of those responsible for Texas dance studio shooting.

[Photo by AP Images]