A concert at the Seagoville Trade Days flea market ended in widespread disorder Sunday evening, March 26, 2023, as multiple fights broke out inside the venue and continued into the parking lot.
The event featured recording artist Lalo Mora as its headliner. Several thousand people were reported to have attended the concert.
Near the end of the performance, large fights erupted simultaneously throughout the concert area. Seagoville police officers entered the venue and attempted to stop the disturbances, but the situation quickly escalated as people began throwing bottles and cans into the crowd.
During the response, a Seagoville police officer became involved with a combative individual and was struck in the head with a thrown can. Other officers assisted in taking the individual into custody. The person was handcuffed and placed in the rear of a marked police vehicle outside the venue.
As the unrest continued, Seagoville police requested assistance from surrounding agencies. Officers and deputies from the Kaufman County Sheriff’s Department, Crandall Police Department and Texas Department of Public Safety Highway Patrol responded to the scene.
Authorities eventually cleared the concert area without assistance from the event’s private security personnel. Fighting continued as attendees moved into the parking lot, while first responders attempted to provide medical assistance to injured people. Vehicles were also seen leaving the flea market in large numbers.
During the confusion, the handcuffed individual reportedly escaped from the rear of the police vehicle. The Seagoville Police Department later became aware of social media posts made by that individual, and officials said the escape was under investigation.
Police were also made aware of a social media claim alleging that a 17-year-old boy had been killed during the fighting. At the time of the city’s March 28 news release, the Seagoville Police Department had not received a formal report identifying any person killed or injured as a result of the incident.
