Dallas singer shot

Photo Credit: A performance at The Black Academy of Arts and Letters / Sabrina K.

An up-and-coming Dallas singer is recovering after she was shot on stage while signing autographs after a performance.

Singer Jada Arnell Thomas, 26, was signing autographs on stage following a performance with The Black Academy of Arts and Letters (TBAAL) in downtown Dallas on Saturday. Suddenly, a woman in the crowd shot her from a few short feet away, and tried to flee the scene.

“It was a packed house; people were in line getting autographs and we heard this shot,” said TBAAL founder and director Curtis King in a statement to Dallas’ NBC 5. “It was unreal. It was like everything was in slow motion.”

According to King, he and staff followed the shooter outside while they called 911, and officers arrested the woman inside the lobby of a nearby hotel. The Dallas Police Department confirmed the arrest of Micah Williams, 26, while a handgun was also recovered.

Interestingly, King said he recognized Williams’ face, and that she performed at TBAAL in a summer program about a decade ago. Still, whether the shooter has a connection to the victim has not been disclosed.

Williams was booked at the Dallas County Jail on a charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Records indicate her bond is set at $200,000.

King said Thomas had just thanked him for his leadership at TBAAL shortly before the shooting. “She said […] ‘thank you for providing a safe space for us to be able to have a platform to perform as young artists,’ and then five-ten minutes later, here she is on the floor.”

It’s currently unknown if the victim and the suspect knew each other and if there was a motive for the shooting. Thomas remains hospitalized, but King says she is progressing, and her family appreciates the support they’ve received from the Dallas arts community and beyond.

“My girl, she’s strong. She’s resilient. She’s a fighter,” said King. “She will sing and soar and she’ll be even better when she gets back on her feet.”

King also announced on social media that TBAAL is working to strengthen its security and screening process in light of the shooting. This also includes decreasing the number of entry points to focus on preventing weapons from getting inside.