Alison and Jesse Simmons. Photo courtesy of Alison Simmons.
Update (12:50 p.m. Aug. 8): This story has been updated with new information from CrimeStoppers, which will pay up to $15,000 for information that leads to the arrest and indictment of the person or persons who injured Simmons.
Jesse Simmons was at home getting ready for work Thursday morning when he saw someone trying to break into his truck.
Simmons, who owns Jesse’s A/C & Appliance Service, went outside around 5:30 a.m. Aug. 3 and approached the man, asking, “Can I help you?” He then called 911.
The man shot Simmons; Simmons also had a gun and fired back, his wife, Alison Simmons, said. The man then fled the scene.
About 10 minutes later, Dallas police and firefighters arrived at the Simmons’ East Dallas home, Alison said.
Simmons was taken to the hospital, where he had surgery to repair his kidney and liver. A bullet missed his spinal cord but went through his L3 vertebrae. Simmons is scheduled to have surgery Tuesday to fuse the damaged vertebrae back together, Alison said.
“If anybody finds themself in the same situation, just let whoever it is take it. It’s not worth it. It’s not,” Alison said. “Let them steal whatever they want. It’s not worth getting shot.”
Simmons has limited feeling in his shins and calves, and he can kind of wiggle his toes, Allison said.
“We have tons of hope and are very optimistic that he won’t totally be paralyzed, and he’ll walk again,” Alison said.
His daughter, Ashley, is managing the family business while Simmons is healing, but without him, the company is down an appliance technician, and the family is losing income. (Editor’s Note: Simmons is a longtime Advocate advertiser.)
A GoFundMe was set up Aug. 7 to help the Simmons family pay medical bills and other expenses. As of publication, donors have contributed more than $7,000 to the fund.
Still, the East Dallas community has already been showing up to support Simmons and his family. For example, one of his favorite bars, Goodfriend Beer Garden & Burger House, shared a message of support on Facebook last week.
“I’ve probably had 200 people reach out to just say, ‘All you gotta do it ask; we’ll get you whatever you need,'” Alison said.
Jesse is well-known in the neighborhood and local business community. He has been involved with East Dallas Networking since the beginning of the group 15 years ago, and he’s a founding member of 100 Men of Dallas, said Chuck Kobdish, a longtime friend of the Simmons family and vice chair of the Greater East Dallas Chamber of Commerce. Simmons has received several awards from the Greater East Dallas Chamber of Commerce, and he’s on the board of the organization.
“He’s one of those guys that truly works tirelessly to make East Dallas a better place for all of us,” Kobdish said. “All this concern and willingness to help from the community is just a testament to what a great guy he is.”
Police are still investigating this incident, and Crime Stoppers will pay up to $15,000 for information that leads to the arrest and indictment of the person or persons who injured Simmons; call 1.877.373.TIPS (8477).Â
