DALLAS -– People across Dallas continue dealing with the tragic shooting that left five officers dead, and nine others wounded, including two civilians.
Some community members are coping by promoting messages of unity and peace.
Some T-shirt vendors are noticing a high demand for shirts that have messages of peace, unity, and strength across Dallas.
Workers at Bullzerk at 1909 Greenville are busy trying to keep up with the demand for the UNITE DALLAS T-shirt the shop’s owner, Dan Bradley, designed after last Thursday’s shooting incident downtown.
"I was just thinking to myself, 'What do I do? How do I help?'" Bradley said.
Bradley admits he was on the fence about designing a T-shirt, at first, but he followed his gut. Bullzerk is now selling a design that captures the city’s skyline with the words UNITE DALLAS printed around the image.
"I really fell in love with the word 'unite,'” Bradley explained. “It doesn't matter who you are. We need to come together as one, and there's no better word for Unite Dallas."
The T-shirts have been flying off the shelves. Workers are busy trying to keep up with the demand. They know the shirts pack a powerful meaning during a time of tragedy and confusion.
"I like that it's not really one-sided,” customer Megan Crouch said about the shirts. “It says 'united' for all of us in the community."
As the community tries to heal, people are coping with the tragedy any way they can. Many neighbors do not have to look far for the shirts.
"It just means bringing everyone together," said Curnelius Arnick. He designed a “Dallas Strong” T-shirt that is also getting the community’s attention. He’s been promoting the shirt through his website, which you can see here.
His shirt design has a red, white, and blue themed skyline of the city. The letters “ALL” in the word Dallas are painted in red. The T-shirt also shows the hashtag #OneDallas.
Arnick said he just wants to make a difference.
“I don't want to live in a city that has so much turmoil and division going on,” Arnick said. “We want to be here with love."
Arnick says 30 percent of the proceeds from his shirt sales are going to the family of fallen DART officer Brent Thompson. He says an additional 30 percent will support a local non-profit called For Oak Cliff. That organization works to buy school supplies for local children.
"Every day, let's do something positive,” Bradley said.
The owner of Bullzerk says half the proceeds from the Unite Dallas T-shirts are going to the victims’ families through the Assist the Officer Foundation.
