Soccer player shot and killed near Woodrow Wilson High School in Dallas ISD
An 18-year-old student athlete was shot Thursday afternoon in a car at the public park near Woodrow Wilson High School in East Dallas, and he later died at a local hospital. A 16-year-old suspect was taken into custody at the scene faces a murder charge, according to Dallas police.
The victim was Woodrow Wilson senior and soccer player Wornan Garcia Padilla, a Dallas ISD spokesperson confirmed.
A third student was involved in the incident but was not identified nor injured. Star-Telegram media partner WFAA-TV reported that the Woodrow Wilson High School students were playing with a gun when the firearm went off, killing the soccer player.
At least 10 Dallas police units were dispatched around 4 p.m. to the shooting scene near the school.
A Dallas ISD spokesperson said that at no point was a gun on campus, but students were dismissed and parents were notified in a timely manner.
Thursday evening, the northeast side of Willis C. Winters Park, 101 S. Glasgow Drive near Covington Lane, was roped off with yellow police tape.
This story was originally published January 22, 2026 at 5:43 PM.