Police say the 30-year-old victim died Saturday morning; the suspected gunman was fatally shot by officers near Town East Mall hours later.
DALLAS, Texas — A Dallas woman’s mother is asking for answers after her daughter, 30-year-old Nadia Swanson, was shot and killed late Saturday morning in North Dallas. Police later shot and killed the suspected gunman near Town East Mall in Mesquite during a traffic stop, authorities said.
Swanson, a mother of five, was found with a gunshot wound shortly after 10 a.m. Saturday in the 9000 block of Markville Drive and later died at a hospital, according to police. Officers began searching for the suspect, identified by police as 32-year-old Gerald Frank Martin. Around midday, officers spotted a vehicle linked to the case on LBJ Freeway near Town East Mall and attempted a stop. During that encounter, police opened fire and killed Martin. The fatal exchange ended an hourslong search but left Swanson’s family and investigators with unanswered questions about what led to the shooting.
By early afternoon, crime scene tape stretched from an apartment-lined block of Markville Drive to lanes of Interstate 635 near the Mesquite shopping corridor, as detectives tried to piece together a timeline. Police said the attack on Swanson happened just after 10:15 a.m., and that the suspect fled before officers arrived. Dallas Fire-Rescue took Swanson to a hospital where she was pronounced dead. Investigators then used vehicle information and witness accounts to track a car believed to be connected to the homicide. Shortly before noon, Dallas officers working in Mesquite tried to pull over the vehicle near Town East Mall. “I’m still trying to process this,” Swanson’s mother, Shashawn Swanson, said, adding that her daughter had celebrated a birthday this week.
Authorities said officers shot the suspect after he exited the vehicle during the attempted stop. No officers were injured. It was not immediately clear whether the suspect fired at police or displayed a weapon during the encounter. The Dallas Police Department said multiple investigative units were called to both scenes, including homicide detectives and the Special Investigations Unit that reviews police shootings. The Dallas County Medical Examiner’s Office is handling autopsies for both deaths. Officials confirmed the victim’s identity as Nadia Swanson and the suspect as Gerald Frank Martin. Police did not release additional details about what preceded the initial gunfire, whether the two had a prior relationship, or what evidence connected Martin to the shooting.
Saturday’s violence comes amid a year of closely watched investigations into shootings across North Texas. In recent weeks, Dallas officers have responded to a string of homicides clustered near major corridors, including stretches of LBJ Freeway. Records show Town East Mall and nearby roads have been the focus of large police responses during the holiday shopping period. While police stressed there is no ongoing threat tied to this case, they acknowledged the proximity of the stop to a busy mall area likely alarmed weekend shoppers. Community advocates who work with families affected by gun violence said the case underscores the toll on children and parents left behind, noting that Swanson’s five children are now in the care of relatives as detectives continue their work.
Dallas police said their Special Investigations Unit and the Public Integrity Unit opened standard inquiries into the officer-involved shooting, and that body-worn camera video will be reviewed. The separate homicide investigation remains active. Detectives said they are interviewing witnesses, canvassing for surveillance video along Markville Drive, and processing the suspect’s vehicle recovered near the mall. The department said it will forward findings to the Dallas County District Attorney’s Office for review, as is routine in fatal uses of force. Police said additional updates will be provided when next-of-kin notifications, evidence testing, and preliminary autopsy results are complete. No additional arrests were announced.
Outside the family’s home, neighbors placed flowers on a small table and spoke quietly about Swanson’s laugh and the constant stream of kids’ bikes scattered on the sidewalk. “She loved her babies,” said a family friend who declined to give her name, pointing to a framed photo the family set by the door. Shashawn Swanson described her daughter as a devoted mother who worked to keep five children on track during the holidays. “We want answers,” she said. “We want to know why this happened and how we go on from here.” Relatives said they were coordinating care for the children as arrangements are made.
As of Saturday night, Dallas police said the homicide case is open, the officer-involved shooting review is underway, and investigators expect to release additional information after preliminary autopsy reports early next week. Any formal briefings, if scheduled, would occur after the holiday break, officials said.
Author note: Last updated December 27, 2025.