Early on January 6, Lubbock police were called to the 600 block of Avenue Q after reports of gunfire. Officers found evidence that shots had been fired, but in classic “nothing to see here” fashion, no victim was actually found at the scene. Just some shell casings, a lot of questions, and the lingering vibe that something bad had gone down.
About 10 hours later, because apparently one Avenue Q shooting just wasn’t enough for a Tuesday, police were called again — this time to the 4800 block. There they found 37-year-old Joe Reyes with multiple gunshot wounds. He was rushed to University Medical Center in serious condition, which is the part where the story stops being abstract and starts being very real.
Investigators say both shootings were connected, and they zeroed in on one suspect: Drukerick Dickson. Evidence tied him to both the mysterious “shooting with no victim” earlier in the day and the later shooting that nearly killed Reyes. After several days of searching, the Lubbock Anti-Gang Center tracked Dickson down on January 8 in the 1900 block of 21st Street, where he was arrested without incident — because apparently the violence quota had already been met.
Dickson is now sitting in the Lubbock County Detention Center, charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, and held on a $250,000 bond. Avenue Q, meanwhile, continues its proud tradition of being the city’s unofficial “bad things happen here” corridor, racking up crime scenes like a punch card at a frozen yogurt shop.
At this point, should Avenue Q just come with a warning label, or are we all just supposed to keep pretending this is totally normal?
https://www.everythinglubbock.com/news/latest/lubbock-police-custody-shootings/
https://www.kcbd.com/2026/01/09/one-person-arrested-connection-two-central-lubbock-shootings/
