1984 Dallas Night Club Shooting

On June 29, 1984, 39-year-old Moroccan national Abdelkrim Belachheb, opened fire at Ianni's Restaurant and Club in Dallas, Texas, killing six people and injuring one. Around 12:15 a.m., Belachheb was involved in an argument with a woman at the club. After she shoved him away and allegedly called him a "monkey," he left the premises, retrieved a Smith & Wesson 459 handgun from his car, and returned to the bar. He approached the woman, stated, "I've had enough with you," and shot her at point-blank range. Subsequently, he walked down the row of bar stools, shooting four other patrons. After exiting the bar, he re-entered and shot another man, then fled the scene, shooting a seventh individual outside. Three of the victims were shot execution-style, with the gun held to their heads. Belachheb remained calm throughout the attack.

Belachheb fled the scene but crashed his car into a telephone pole shortly thereafter. Police traced the vehicle and arrested him at a friend's house less than two hours later. ​

At the time, Texas law did not classify multiple murders as a capital offense unless they occurred under specific circumstances, such as during the commission of another felony. As a result, Belachheb was not eligible for the death penalty. He was convicted on six counts of murder and one count of attempted murder, receiving six life sentences.

The case prompted changes in Texas legislation, leading to the inclusion of multiple murders as a criterion for capital punishment. ​

Victims

The seven in the shooting were:

• Marcell Ford (killed)

• Janice Smith (killed)

• Linda Lowe (killed)

• Ligia Koslowski (killed)

• Frank Parker (killed)

• Joe Menasi​ (killed)

• John McNeil (wounded)