Dallas police say a 19-year-old man admitted to shooting and killing a 16-year-old girl at a party early Sunday in Far North Dallas.

Jakiya Wrightsil, 16, was pronounced dead at the scene at the Veridian Place Apartments in the 4800 block of Haverwood Lane.

William Hester, 19, was taken into custody in Mesquite on Sunday by Dallas police. He faces a manslaughter charge for the shooting death.

It was early Sunday morning when Greg Rosche woke up to noise from a nearby party at an upstairs apartment. Rosche says shortly after he woke up, he heard a gunshot.

“When I got outside, there were three young ladies in basically panic mode because they were claiming one of their friends had gotten shot,” he said.


Rosche went upstairs and saw Wrightsil on the floor of the living room with a gunshot wound to the head. Rosche says she had no pulse.

“It's terrible to see that, it's an absolute travesty," he said. "I think to see a situation, whether there was intent there or not, to see, to watch it unfold and to see a young person die in front of you, it's a terrible experience.”

Police detained several people from the party. Investigators say witnesses they interviewed told them several people were playing with a handgun when someone pointed the weapon at the girl and fatally shot her.

FOX 4 spoke with another neighbor who didn’t want to be identified, but says she hasn’t slept since the shooting happened.

“I immediately was freaking out, I'm like what. Where's the parents? How did this happen?” she said.

Police have not said who the gun belonged to. Neighbors say a single mother and her teenage daughter live in the apartment. Other parents of teens at the party arrived on scene as police were investigating.

“To watch the mother grieve and wanna see her baby before she died and they won't let her see her. She's in absolute panic, shock,” said Rosche.

“Adults should've been here, I'm sorry, I don't care, they should've been here and it wouldn't have happened because you've put this whole unit in danger,” said the unidentified neighbor.

FOX 4 is on YouTube - http://bit.ly/fox4subscribe