The late-night rescue attempt became a homicide investigation after emergency crews found the wounded man inside a submerged pickup.
DALLAS, Texas — Dallas police officers entered a West Dallas lake late Tuesday after callers reported a submerged pickup, but emergency crews were unable to save the driver, who authorities said had been shot before the vehicle entered the water.
The incident began shortly before 11:30 p.m. Tuesday in the 2200 block of Singleton Boulevard, according to the Dallas Police Department. Investigators said an unknown assailant shot the man and fled. The wounded driver then drove away before his pickup crashed into Fish Trap Lake near Singleton Boulevard and Fish Trap Road.
Dallas police said they received multiple 911 calls about the vehicle in the water. Responding officers went into the lake to reach the unresponsive driver. Dallas Fire-Rescue also responded, and the man died at the scene.
The Dallas County medical examiner was assisting authorities in identifying the victim. His name had not been released as of Thursday, and police had not announced his age or provided other identifying information.
Police initially described the case as a shooting followed by a crash. The department’s public statement did not say whether the gunshot wound, the crash or another factor caused the man’s death. A final determination would fall to the medical examiner.
Investigators told local reporters that the confrontation may have started near a shopping center at Singleton Boulevard and North Hampton Road. Witnesses reportedly saw two drivers enter the parking lot before an argument and gunfire. Police have not detailed the disagreement or said whether the two people knew each other.
The victim left the shopping center in his pickup after the shooting, according to the preliminary account. The truck traveled toward the lake and entered the water roughly a mile from the reported confrontation. Authorities have not released a complete reconstruction of the vehicle’s route.
People living near the lake told FOX 4 that they heard gunshots and later saw a large police response near the water. Jarrett McDonald, a nearby resident, described the shooting as a “no win situation” for those involved and the victim’s loved ones.
No suspect description or information about a possible getaway vehicle had been released. Police also had not announced an arrest or identified a suspected motive. The department cautioned that the circumstances remained part of a preliminary homicide investigation.
The case is being investigated under Dallas police case number 114013-2026. Detective D. Mendoza is handling requests for information as authorities continue working to identify the shooter and determine what led to the confrontation.
Author note: Last updated August 6, 2026.