Residents hear gunshots outside the Continental building in downtown Dallas, police respond

Dallas police responded to a 911 call about a shooting downtown Thursday afternoon.

According to an online police 911 log, more than 20 police units responded to a 911 call about a shooting shortly after 12:20 p.m. in the 1800 block of Commerce Street, near south St. Paul Street.

Police did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Residents of the Continental building in the city center said The Dallas Morning News that they had heard more than a dozen shots.

Dayana Bailey, 54, said she has lived in the building for nearly three years. Shortly after noon, she heard gunshots from a nearby apartment in her eighth-floor apartment. The gunshots were followed by “terrifying screams and screeches.” Bailey hid in her closet and called 911.

“I had to cover myself,” she said. “I was shaking so much.”

When she left her apartment, Bailey said, she saw blood in the hallway and elevator.

“My lease doesn’t actually expire until later this year, but I’m telling you, it ends today,” Bailey said. “I don’t feel safe anymore.”

Leslie Johnson, 40, moved into the building about a month ago after living in The Bridge for nearly a year. Until now, she has never felt unsafe in the apartment complex, Johnson said.

“I’ve felt really safe in the building since I’ve been here,” she said. “There are security guards patrolling inside. We get constant updates about broken gates, air conditioning, everything. I think the apartment complex has our best interests in mind. But now I don’t feel safe. It’s making my anxiety really bad.”