Two men are under arrest and facing murder charges in connection with a mass shooting that took place in Fort Worth's Como neighborhood on Monday night.
Just before midnight Tuesday, several hundred people lingered along Horne Street after ComoFest, an annual Fourth of July party in the Como neighborhood southwest of downtown Fort Worth.
At about 11:47 p.m., someone started shooting into the crowd of hundreds, injuring eight people and killing three. The three victims have been identified as 18-year-old Paul Willis, 18-year-old Gabriella Navarrete, and 22-year-old Cynthia Santos.
"They didn’t lose their lives. Their lives were taken from them, violently and senselessly," Fort Worth Chief of Police Neil Noakes said Friday.
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Fort Worth Police records show two men have been arrested in connection with the case and charged with murder. They have been identified as 19-year-old Brandon Williams and 20-year-old Christopher Redic (photos below).
According to police records, Redic was booked into the city jail just before noon Friday and Williams about an hour later. It's not yet clear if either of the men has obtained attorneys to speak on their behalf.
Chief Noakes said during a news conference Friday afternoon that there was some sort of altercation before the shooting. Noakes said investigators believe the violence may have been gang-related.
"Our gang unit worked really hard, because we do believe this was gang-related. From their expertise and experience with the entire city of Fort Worth, we’re able to work with the homicide unit," he said. "We had officers pouring over video over and over again to collect even the slightest bit of evidence they could."
The investigation into the shooting is ongoing.
Noakes added that the annual event has been going on for decades and that city leaders will work to take steps to make changes to the event to make it safer in the future, including limiting any street parties after the event has concluded.
He had a message specifically for the youth population Friday.
"There is so much more to live for. There is so much more value that should be placed, not only on the lives of the potential victims but on themselves as well," he said. "It seems as though the only conflict resolution skills some are using involve a gun. It doesn’t matter how minor an altercation may be, someone pulls out a gun. Maybe someone else pulls out a gun, and it ends in death and tragedy."
Community members and leaders held a candlelight vigil to remember the victims on Friday night outside the downtown old courthouse at 100 E. Weatherford Street. In attendance was the family of Gabriella Navarrete, one of the three killed in Como this week, and the family of 21-year-old Billy Smith.
Smith has been identified as the second man who died Wednesday morning after an officer-involved shooting Wednesday.
At the vigil, leaders called for change and answers to address gun violence while they also tried to bring comfort to the families grieving their loved ones.
"Nobody has all the answers but if we sit down at a table and communicate, then we can begin this process of healing," Lee Muhammad said.
The National Mass Violence Resource Center has compiled a guide to resources that may be helpful to the survivors and community affected by the July 3 shooting in the Como neighborhood. More information can be found here.
