A week later, at Shark’s Comedy Club in downtown Dallas, dozens of friends, family members, and fans packed the basement for a memorial show in Cruz’s honor.
DALLAS, Texas — The Dallas comedy community is mourning the loss of Henry Cruz, a rising comedian who was killed in a hit-and-run crash last weekend.
Dallas police say Cruz was walking along Elm Street near Deep Ellum around 2:30 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 3, when he was hit by a driver who never stopped.
Cruz was taken to the hospital and died. Police said no arrests have been made, and they are continuing to search for the person responsible.
A week later, at Shark’s Comedy Club in Downtown Dallas, dozens of friends, family members, and fans packed the basement for a memorial show in Cruz’s honor.
“This whole week has been really hard. Every single day, I can’t sleep, can’t eat,” said Angel Hernandez, Cruz’s childhood friend. “I knew he had a lot of friends, but to see everybody step up and be there for his family, it’s incredible.”
The crowd honored Cruz the way he would have wanted — with laughter. Performers shared stories, told jokes, and ended the night with a standing ovation for their friend.
“Today was the funeral and the burial, and that was really hard,” said Sagan Butler, another close friend and comedian. “This kind of feels like a breath of fresh air.”
Organizers said 10% of all food and drink sales at Frankie’s will be donated to Cruz’s family. That’s in addition to more than $10,000 raised through a GoFundMe to help cover funeral expenses.
A memorial now sits near the spot where Cruz was killed along Elm Street. Friends hope the laughter and love shared at his memorial show can carry forward his legacy.
“I’ll never do a show without you again, because you’re with me forever,” one comedian said from the stage.