KETK news spoke with a UT Tyler graduate who lives in downtown Dallas and witnessed hearing the tragedy unfolding.  

Jennifer Staub said she heard the events unfold from her terrace Thursday night. She lives in the Dallas Power and Light building in between Commerce and Jackson Streets.

She almost went to the rally, but her fiance convinced her to stay, as he was worried it might get violent, Staub said.

The couple was sitting on their apartment balcony when they heard what sounded like fireworks, but they soon realized it was gun fire.

“We were sitting out on our terrace and we heard a ton of screaming and all of a sudden there were tons of sirens coming through downtown down Jackson, up Field,” Staub said. “As soon as we started hearing the sirens then people across the street from us started opening their windows and sticking their heads out their windows and that’s when we knew something was really happening. Once we were paying attention to the noise is when we heard pops of gunfire.”

Staub said even Friday when she went outside to walk her dog, there were barricades blocking roads and police told her to turn around.