GoFundMe Darius "DJ" Dugas was shot and killed in Harris County.
Darius “DJ” Dugas has been identified as the 11-year-old boy killed in a shooting at a Harris County apartment complex near Houston on February 3, 2022. A GoFundMe has been set up to help his family. DJ was shot multiple times when he went to his family’s car to get a jacket, police said. No suspects have been arrested.
DJ was a student at the Dr. Gerald D. Cobb Sixth Grade Campus in the Galena Park Independent School District, according to his family. “He had just turned 11 years old last month his mom surprised him with a trip to Denver Colorado where he enjoyed being surrounded with laughter and love,” the GoFundMe says. “The night he passed away he did no wrong he was only going to the car to get his jacket and his other stuff that any 11 yr old boy would want to get before settling in for a winter night. His mom said he was only gone for 2 minutes but never made it back home.”
Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said at the scene of the shooting that witnesses reported hearing multiple gunshots and came outside to find DJ had been shot. “Gun violence has been a big problem,” Gonzalez said. “Ironically, in unincorporated Harris County, not any particular city, but unincorporated Harris County, we’ve actually started the year doing pretty well. We’ve had very little gun violence related to children so far in the first month. It’s only one month. But we were optimistic that at least we were starting off in decent way. And now this obviously happened.”
Gonzalez added, “So it’s something that is very concerning to us. We don’t want it to be like last year where we responded to 100s of scenes where juveniles had been shot. That is unacceptable. We can’t have that in any community. Violence in general is unacceptable, especially when it’s targeting young children. So this is a problem when young children are being shot and injured. So we have to do better, we must do better, and we will. We’re going to look at all the data and see what else can be done and continue different strategies to try to reduce juvenile crime.”
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DJ’s Mother Says the Shooter ‘Took Someone Very Special’
FacebookDJ Dugas with his mother.
DJ Dugas’ mother, Brenetta Francis, said her son had just celebrated growing to 5-feet-tall and was known as “King Darius.” Francis told ABC 13 Houston, “He just touched the heart of everyone because he was very wise before his time. He had a smile that would light up the room, and we’re going to honor him the best way that we can.”
She added, “I just want everybody to know Darius was a positive person. He would not want us to be sad. He would want us to celebrate his life and just make something positive out of this.” Francis said DJ was the youngest of her three children.
Francis told Fox 26 Houston, “The hurt I feel. Whoever did this, I need you to understand that you took someone very special. … He would still run to me every day after school and give me a big hug and kiss.”
FacebookDarius “DJ” Dugas.
Francis told Fox 26 Houston she thinks the shooter was possibly trying to rob her son, “He did not deserve to lose his life because he was harmless. He did not have any keys on him.” She told ABC 13, “All I know is, for a strong 10 seconds my baby feared for his life before he lost it. I was upstairs, along with his big brother and big sister, and there was nothing we could do about it.”
She added in an interview with Fox 26, “I just really wish you all would just have a lot more regard for human life. You’re not only hurting people’s parents, you’re hurting communities. And then you’re not going to get away with this, so you’re also going to be causing pain and anguish to your loved ones as well.”
Francis told the news station, “Life is precious. I just need you all to just have a lot more regard for it because my baby was only 11 years old, and he had a really bright future ahead of him.”
Police Are Asking for the Public’s Help in Tracking Down the Gunman & Are Investigating Whether a Man Seen Running From the Scene Is Connected to the Shooting
The shooting happened about 6:50 p.m. at the Vireo Apartments on Tidwell Road, according to the Harris County Sheriff’s Office. Deputies from the Harris County Constable Precinct 3 were the first to respond and began CPR when the boy was found with multiple gunshot wounds DJ was rushed to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead, according to Sheriff Ed Gonzalez.
“He’s only 11 years old,” Gonzalez said. “At this point we have very limited information.” Gonzalez said investigators haven’t learned what led up to the shooting and would be working to determine if an altercation or argument took place before the shots were fired. “What we know is apparently he had gone outside, apparently said he was going to grab something from the car and then this happened,” Gonzalez said about the boy.
He added, “We were told that a male was spotted running from the location with a white T-shirt and an afro but we don’t know his connection to the scene. But that was something that was spotted when everything went down. So we’re just trying to determine exactly what happened.”
A press release adds, “Witnesses described seeing a teenage black male, with a short afro, wearing a white shirt, and dark sweat pants fleeing the scene on foot. The male ran northbound through the complex and jumped over a wooden fence to exit the complex.” Anyone with information is asked to call the Harris County Sheriff’s Office at 713-274-9100 or Houston Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS.
DJ’s Family Mourned the Loss of His Aunt in a Crash Caused by a Drunk Driver Last Year, According to the GoFundMe
FacebookDarius Dugas with his family.
According to the GoFundMe, the loss of Darius “DJ” Dugas to “senseless gun violence,” comes months after his aunt was killed in a “horrific” car crash caused by a drunken driver. “This family has endured so much loss in the past year,” the GoFundMe says. Donations for DJ Dugas’ burial and other expenses can be made here.
The GoFundMe adds, “He was a smart, respectful, down to earth always smiling kid, happy kid. His innocent life was stolen from him way too early. Can you imagine waking up to not being able to tuck your baby in the bed anymore?”
Marjai Francis, DJ’s grandmother, told ABC 13, “Love on your kids. In no way we would have thought this would have happened to us. So, if you have a baby tonight, go in that room and hug and love on that child. Because it may be the last time.”
His mother, speaking near where her son was killed, added, “It is far from easy for me to stand up here, but I am going to forever be his mother. It’s my job to make sure his death is not in vain. We need justice and I believe justice will be served. I believe it’s going to be served because that’s just how much Darius was loved. There’s no way possible someone will treat my son and gun him down so close in the community and get away with it.”
The Galena ISD issued a statement saying, “We are deeply saddened to inform you that one of our students passed away (Friday). This student will be missed by all. We extend our heartfelt sympathy to the student’s family and friends and ask you to keep them in your thoughts and prayers. Students and staff may react in different ways to the loss of a school community member, some more intense than others. We encourage you to talk with your child as it is important for students to express their feelings. Traumatic events, like the loss of a friend or peer, can trigger emotional responses that may require counseling support.”
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