A string of violent incidents over the weekend in Fort Worth left at least four people dead and multiple others injured. On Monday, newly appointed Fort Worth Police Chief Eddie Garcia addressed the media, calling the weekend “isolated” and “challenging.”
“This was a challenging weekend,” Garcia said. “It hits me because we lost lives. There’s no question about it.”
The first incident occurred on Friday near East Rosedale Street, where a 15-year-old was killed and another person was injured in a stabbing during a fight.
Fatal gas station attack and break-in
The second incident happened near the 1400 block of Eastchase Parkway. Police said a man killed a gas station employee, fired at another vehicle, and then rammed through a metal gate at a nearby home in an attempted break-in.
Woman fatally shot after minor crash
The third incident took place on Wichita Street, where police say an 18-year-old woman was shot and killed while exchanging insurance information following a minor crash.
Nightclub shooting injures five others
The fourth incident occurred at a nightclub in the West 7th district. One man was killed and at least five others were injured.
Garcia: Violence not the norm
Just three weeks into the job, Garcia is already facing one of the city’s most violent weekends. Still, he emphasized that such violence is not typical for Fort Worth.
“The statistics simply just don’t bear out, but painting a picture of Fort Worth in that way, based on one weekend, that’s not fair to the community,” Garcia said. “It’s not fair to these men and women that sacrificed so much that we just ignored the statistics that show that the city of Fort Worth is reducing its total violent crime, and it’s not increasing.”
Programs aim to reduce violence
Garcia acknowledged that Fort Worth has seen an uptick in murders this year, but said overall violent crime is down. He pointed to ongoing violence reduction programs as evidence of progress.
The Golden Lasso program allows restaurants and bars to display a certification showing their commitment to safety and security. The Block to Block program deploys ambassadors to patrol the West 7th Entertainment District, offering assistance and increasing visibility.
“They are programs that help, you know, anything and everything that can help. Then we’re obviously going to be looking into,” said Officer Brad Perez. “The chief meets with command staff every single week. He always wants to be certain of what’s going on. Are there any upticks anywhere, any new hotspots, any areas that need further attention? Because we always want to combat that.”
Bars face scrutiny after shootings
Garcia said the department will be reviewing bar operations and may suspend venue licenses if necessary.
“One weekend does not make a trend,” Garcia said. “Having said that, we don’t sit on our hands to ensure that it doesn’t happen again. And so, no, the plans have been working. We need to tighten them up. There’s no question about it.”