DALLAS — The Dallas Police Department announced they charged a man in connection to the explosion at a southeast Dallas apartment building that injured seven people.

What You Need To Know

  • Dallas police said they charged 28-year-old Phillip Dankins with seven counts of deadly conduct

  • The fire department said the explosion was caused by a gunshot fired into an apartment, striking a gas line connected to a stove

  • He was already in custody at the Dallas County jail on a family violence warrant

Dallas police said they charged 28-year-old Phillip Dankins with seven counts of deadly conduct related to the Sept. 29 explosion. He was already in custody at the Dallas County jail on a family violence warrant. 

According to the Dallas Fire Department, the explosion was caused by a gunshot fired into an apartment, striking a gas line connected to a stove. 

Residents at the Highland Hill Apartment Complex called 911 to report the smell of natural gas on Sept 29. Firefighters with Dallas Fire-Rescue arrived to investigate the smell, and an explosion partially collapsed one apartment building and damaged another. The explosion injured three residents and four firefighters.

Several residents have been displaced since the explosion. The City of Dallas said all residents will be safely housed until they can return home or find other permanent housing, and while the property owner is ultimately responsible, the city is assisting.

In a statement, Dallas Chief of Police Eddie Garcia said the arrest was made possible by the "dedicated work of Dallas Fire-Rescue Arson Investigators, Dallas Police Department Investigators, and Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Agents."