Authorities have not announced who fired the gun or explained the circumstances that led to Amazi Aplon’s death.
DALLAS, Texas — Dallas police are investigating the fatal shooting of a 3-year-old boy who was found wounded at a South Oak Cliff apartment complex early Sunday, with authorities yet to explain how the child was shot or identify the person who fired the weapon.
Amazi Aplon was found with a gunshot wound after officers responded around 1 a.m. Oct. 11 to an apartment complex on Wadsworth Drive, near Loop 12 and Interstate 45, according to police and local news reports. Officers began lifesaving efforts before Dallas Fire-Rescue took the child to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The Dallas County Medical Examiner’s Office later identified the boy as Aplon.
The central questions surrounding the shooting remained unanswered days later. Dallas police have said the motive and circumstances are still under investigation. Authorities have not publicly identified the person who fired the gun, described what happened immediately before the shooting or announced criminal charges in the case.
FOX 4 reported that Child Protective Services was notified and that Aplon’s mother was questioned as investigators worked to determine what happened. Police had not publicly accused her of a crime, and authorities had not announced that the shooting was intentional or accidental. The continuing investigation leaves the precise sequence of events inside or around the apartment unknown.
Neighbors described a chaotic scene after the shooting. CBS Texas reported that residents heard cries for help and saw the boy and his mother in the parking lot. Neighbors called 911 and tried to assist as emergency crews were summoned. Police have not released a detailed public account establishing where Aplon was when he was shot or where the weapon was fired.
The shooting occurred at an apartment complex in the southern part of Dallas. NBC 5 reported that neighbors who knew the family said children from the household were regularly seen playing outside. Their accounts reflected the shock surrounding the death but did not establish how the shooting happened, a question investigators have said remains unresolved.
Police have released few additional details about the evidence collected during the investigation. No arrest had been announced, and authorities had not disclosed whether investigators recovered a firearm, whether other people were present when the shooting occurred or whether detectives had identified a possible suspect. Those details remain unconfirmed unless and until investigators release them.
Aplon’s death comes as his family prepares for funeral services and waits for answers. A funeral home obituary lists his full name as Amazi Ray Joseph Aplon and gives his birth date as July 23, 2023. The obituary remembers him as a child who enjoyed singing and dancing and who looked forward to waiting for his sisters at their school bus stop.
Dallas police continue to investigate the shooting. As of Wednesday, authorities had not announced an arrest or publicly determined who fired the shot that killed Aplon, leaving the circumstances of the 3-year-old’s death under investigation.
Author note: Last updated October 14, 2026.