Dallas woman killed in Malibu Jack’s shooting remembered as ‘incredible mother’
A 21-year-old Dallas woman who was killed in a shooting at a North Texas amusement park over the weekend is being remembered as a devoted mom and a loyal friend.
The victim, DaShayla Jones, died in the parking lot of Malibu Jack’s in North Richland Hills after a fight began inside the indoor entertainment facility around closing time at midnight Sunday and spilled outside, investigators said. The gunshots were fired in the parking lot. A 23-year-old Dallas man was wounded in the shooting and is expected to survive.
An 18-year-old suspect, Tychriston Reed of Fort Worth, was arrested after he fled the scene, police said. He faces nine charges including murder, two counts of aggravated assault against a public servant, four counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, and two counts of reckless endangerment of a child.
North Richland Hills police released new details of the murder investigation at a news conference on Monday afternoon.
Family says victim was a hard-working mother
Jones, known as Shayla, was “a kind soul, a loyal friend, and above all, an incredible mother to her 4-year-old son,” Marilyn Sipert wrote on a GoFundMe account raising money to help the family pay for funeral expenses and care for the victim’s child.
“Shayla worked hard every day to provide for her little boy, and she always spoke about him with so much love and pride,” Sipert wrote.
“Her life was taken far too soon, leaving behind a son who will now have to grow up without his mother’s love, guidance, and presence,” Sipert wrote. “No child should have to experience such a devastating loss at such a young age.”
The family mourned another death by gun violence six years ago. Jones’ sister, 22-year-old Muhlaysia Booker, was murdered in Dallas in 2019. The shooter in that case pleaded guilty in 2023.
Fight led to deadly shooting with kids nearby, police say
Investigators determined that there was a fight between several people before shots were fired outside the amusement park, at 8651 Airport Freeway, shortly after midnight, police said in a news release.
Two North Richland Hills police officers were working off-duty at Malibu Jack’s at the time of the shooting, and police said the suspect shot at them. One officer returned fire at the shooter, but the suspect was not struck by gunfire, police said. The second officer was able to apply a tourniquet to the male victim before medics arrived.
Reed faces charges of reckless endangerment of children because he’s accused of firing a gun in a parking lot where children were present, North Richland Hills police spokesperson Carissa Katekaru said during Monday’s press conference.
It’s unclear what the fight was about. Authorities are not aware of any connection between the suspect and the victims, Katekaru said.
Officers initially had a vague description of the shooter, so they pursued several young men and arrested three, with Reed being one of them, Katekaru said.
Reed was found on foot outdoors in a neighboring city. Detectives said they recovered a gun that they believe is the murder weapon.
After reviewing evidence and witness statements, investigators determined that only Reed is believed to be a suspect in the homicide. The other two 18-year-olds were arrested on unrelated charges.
Reed was booked into the Tarrant County Jail for a formal arraignment, scheduled for Monday evening, after a judge reviewed the case for probable cause at the North Richland Hills Detention Facility.
Police say amusement park is safe for families
Katekaru said investigators believe Reed did not bring the gun inside Malibu Jack’s. She said the altercation began inside the amusement park building and escalated into the parking lot, where the shooting occurred.
No officers were injured. The officer who fired his weapon is on administrative leave in keeping with departmental policy pending an internal investigation.
“We have two off-duty officers that work at that establishment for safety reasons. And it’s not uncommon for amusement facilities to have off-duty officers working,” Katekaru said.
Malibu Jack’s, billed as Texas’ largest indoor theme park, opened its North Richland Hills location in June. The business was closed on Sunday, according to a post on its Facebook page.
“I would encourage people to continue to frequent establishments like that,” Katekaru said. “Undoubtedly, those two off-duty officers prevented further injuries. So it’s a testament to our commitment to keeping people safe.”
This story was originally published September 8, 2025 at 5:35 PM.