Dallas singer Jada Arnell Thomas was shot while signing autographs after her performance at the Black Academy of Arts and Letters in downtown Dallas on November 2, 2024. The 26-year-old artist, who was rushed to a local hospital after the incident, has been reported to be in stable condition.
According to witnesses, Thomas was simply interacting with her fans after the show when the chaotic scene unfolded. A woman found to be Micah Williams pulled out a firearm and shot Thomas in the chest before fleeing the scene. Quick response from law officers brought Williams into custody shortly thereafter. She has since been charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and is currently on a $200,000 bond pending upon her final judgement currently being held at Dallas County Jail.
In an interview with police, Williams said Thomas had been harassing her throughout 2023, but law enforcement has not confirmed a motive outright in this shooting, and the matter remains under investigation.
Curtis King is the founder and director of the Black Academy of Arts and Letters. He watched the shooting happen. “It was almost surreal,” he said. “It was like the whole thing was in slow motion.” He called Thomas “strong and resilient,” adding, “Ironically, earlier that day she had thanked us for offering artists a safe space to share work.”.
The incident has attracted an outpouring of love and support from Thomas’ family and friends. “My baby didn’t deserve this. She’s strong, resilient, and a fighter. She will sing and soar and she’ll be even better when she gets back on her feet,” her cousin, Alexandria Simmons, wrote in a touching message via her social media handle.
In the wake of this heinous incident, the Black Academy of Arts and Letters has vowed to adjust all forms of security for all their future events. This would imply that most of the entry points into the facility would be scaled down to minimize incidents of people entering the venue with weapons.
The Dallas Police Department has, within the same context, been in consultation with the academy to ensure that such an incident never happens again to any other attendants or artists, treating the incident as very serious.
Jada Arnell Thomas is accomplished for having a commanding voice and an exciting stage presence. She initiated her music training at three years old in R&B, Gospel, Jazz, Musical Theatre, and Classical. Her love for the craft drove her to pursue performing opportunities that would place her in Los Angeles once she was cast in a musical during her senior year at Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts.
Having amassed more than 21,000 followers on the social network, Jada recently took to the stage in a performance woven with themes of resilience and empowerment in a show called “The Bitches,” basically telling the story of her life. The community has their fingers crossed for her recovery and to see her on the stage again.
