3 killed in Fort Worth shooting during July 4 celebration

Three people were killed and eight others injured Monday night in a shooting in Fort Worth where a crowd had gathered for a July 4 celebration, police said.

The shooting took place just before midnight in the Como neighborhood, southwest of downtown Fort Worth, which has an annual celebration on July 3.

The Fort Worth Police Department Homicide Unit is investigating, Officer Daniel Segura, a spokesman, said in an email. No one has been arrested and police are asking people to call for advice, he added.

“Fireworks were being set off, a lot of people were just trying to flee the area because of the multiple gunshots, so it was difficult for them to quickly navigate the area,” said Capt. Shawn Murray of the Edmonton Police Department. Fort Worth at a press conference. shortly after filming.

He said it was too early to tell whether the shooting was gang-related or a domestic dispute. “At this point, we just know that someone fired multiple times, and a bunch of people got hurt in reference to that,” captain Murray said. “I hope it’s just one shooter.”

Mayor Mattie Parker of Fort Worth said on Twitter that she was devastated by the shooting.

“It’s heartbreak and then you’re furious about it,” Ms Parker says WFAA-TV“because you know this community has worked so hard, not just to throw wonderful festivities to celebrate Independence Day; it’s about their community.

“We have a long way to go, and this country too,” she added. “We are all reeling from the gun violence.”

Hours before the shooting in Fort Worth, a gunman wearing a body armor opened fire in Philadelphia, killing five men between the ages of 20 and 59 and wounding two others, ages 2 and 13. A suspect has been taken into custody by the police.

On Sunday, at least two people died and 28 others were injured in a shooting at a block party in the Brooklyn neighborhood, south of Baltimore.

The Fort Worth shooting came a year after seven people were killed and dozens injured in a shooting during a July 4 parade in Highland Park, Illinois, a suburb 25 miles north of Chicago. Some Americans said they were nervous about attending big public events this year for the Fourth, such as parades and fireworks, given the number of mass shootings across the country. these last years.

President Biden acknowledged the violence in a statement Tuesday and urged other states to follow the lead of Illinois, which banned certain high-powered weapons and high-capacity magazines after the Highland Park shooting.

“Over the past few days, our nation has once again suffered a wave of tragic and senseless shootings in communities across America – from Philadelphia to Fort Worth, from Baltimore to Lansing, from Wichita to Chicago,” Mr. Biden. “Today, Jill and I mourn those who lost their lives and as our nation celebrates Independence Day, we pray for the day when our communities are free from gun violence.”

Amanda Holpuch contributed report.