An 18-year-old man is in custody and facing a murder charge in the shooting that killed a 16-year-old boy near the Hurricane Harbor water park entrance in Arlington, TX Wednesday evening, police say.
Arlington police announced Friday that 18-year-old Cameron Stephens was arrested by the U.S. Marshals Service overnight at a convenience store in the 2700 block of Harverwood Lane in North Dallas. He was taken to the Arlington Jail and held on one count of murder.
“We are grateful for the quick actions of our detectives based upon information provided by our community to arrest the person responsible for this incident,” Arlington Police Chief Al Jones stated in the news release.
Dai’trell Teal, who would have been a junior at Arlington Martin High School in the fall, was shot shortly after 7 p.m. Wednesday as the park was closing for the day.
The arrest warrant affidavit for Stephens, released Friday morning by Arlington police, offered new details in the moments leading up to the shooting.
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According to the document, Teal was with a group of friends when an unknown man parked in a nearby parking space “yelled out something to the effect of, ‘hey, y’all got beef with 2100 or Famous John?’ No one in the group was familiar with what the unknown male was talking about,” the affidavit read.
One person in the group told the man that no one was aware of what he was talking about and “no one in the group has beef with anyone,” the document read. The man then confronted the group and said he believed he recognized one of them.
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After being told to go away, the man ran to his car, got a gun and began shooting before leaving the area, the affidavit read.
Teal was transported to Texas Health Arlington Memorial Hospital where he was later pronounced deceased.
Detectives identified the gunman as Stephens after one of Teal’s relatives received a tip that aligned with witness descriptions of the shooter, according to the warrant.
After learning of the teen’s death, Six Flags, which owns the water park, said their “deepest sympathies are with the family.”
Before Teal’s name was released publicly, the Arlington Independent School District confirmed Thursday that the victim was a student in the district.
“With a heavy heart, the Arlington ISD reports that one of our students was shot and killed last night outside of Hurricane Harbor, an Arlington water park. Out of respect for the family involved and the minor status of the student, the Arlington ISD will not release the student’s name or school until we are sure that all family members have been notified of the loss.”
Marcelo Cavazos
Superintendent of the Arlington ISD
The Arlington Police Department asks anyone who may have witnessed the shooting or has any information about this case to come forward and report it to Detective Simmons 817-459-5735. Tipsters can also remain anonymous by contacting Tarrant County Crime Stoppers at 817-469-TIPS.
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