Anthony Martin, known to his friends and family as Quincy McCleary, was a hardworking and generous 25-year-old man with plans for the future. His cousin, Mike, remembered him as an "honest working man" who worked alongside him at a solar panel company. Anthony was dedicated to supporting his loved ones and was saving money with the goal of buying his own house. His sister, Ashley Martin, recalled his creative and playful side, sharing that he enjoyed rapping and playing video games. She said he was the kind of person who would give someone the clothes off his back.
The night of Halloween in 2026 turned into a tragedy for Anthony and his family. He was out with his cousin and other relatives in the vibrant Deep Ellum neighborhood of Dallas, Texas, to celebrate the holiday. The area, known for its nightlife and entertainment, was crowded with partygoers.
Shortly after midnight on November 1, the festive atmosphere was shattered by a series of three separate, unrelated shootings that unfolded over approximately 75 minutes, leaving a trail of violence that stunned the city.
The first incident occurred around 12:20 a.m. in the 2600 block of Elm Street. Minutes later, about a block away, a second burst of gunfire erupted along Commerce Street, near South Crowdus Street. It was in this shooting that Anthony, along with 21-year-old Kanisea Scott and 28-year-old Unique Elise Benjamin, was fatally wounded. Anthony’s cousin was with him when the shots rang out. His sister later learned the devastating news that her brother’s body had been pulled from a car, lifeless. A third shooting occurred about 30 minutes later nearby. In total, the three incidents that night left four people dead and 15 others wounded.
The Dallas Police Department, which had staffed the neighborhood with extra officers for the holiday, responded quickly to the chaotic scenes. In a press conference, Police Chief Daniel Comeaux stated that investigators did not believe the three shootings were connected and that preliminary information suggested "senseless" arguments had preceded the violence. He confirmed that police had witnesses and that some individuals had been arrested and were being interviewed, though it was not immediately clear which shooting they were connected to. Investigators went door-to-door to businesses to recover surveillance footage.
In the days following the shootings, a multi-agency initiative called "Operation Deep Cover" was launched, involving the Dallas Police Department, the FBI, the ATF, and the U.S. Attorney's Office, to curb violent crime in Deep Ellum. As part of this initiative, authorities announced the federal arrest of a man named Treyveion Demby, who was seen brandishing a stolen handgun on Main Street around the time of the shootings. However, officials did not name him as a suspect in any of the homicides.
Anthony’s family was left heartbroken and searching for answers. "I'm just sad that I wasn't there. I couldn't be there to just see him and hold him," his sister Ashley said. "I'm so mad, I'm mad, but I know I have to be strong." Pleading for an end to the violence that took her brother, she added, "We're hurting out here, your children are hurting, that's why they're killing each other." In response to the tragedy, the Deep Ellum Foundation scheduled community listening sessions to address the violence and neighborhood safety.
As of November 2026, the Dallas Police Department’s investigation into the triple homicide on Commerce Street was ongoing, and investigators were still seeking additional suspects. The case remains unsolved. Anyone with information about the murder of Anthony Martin is urged to contact Sgt. Boz Rojas of the Dallas Police Department at 214-671-3598.
