‘Take cover!’ Video shows moments of terror at Como mass shooting that killed 3, injured 8
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Deadly shooting in west Fort Worth
Three people were killed and eight wounded late Monday when gunfire erupted in a Como parking lot following ComoFest, the west Fort Worth neighborhood’s annual Fourth of July celebration.
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Video footage of the Como shooting that killed three and injured eight late Monday shows the confusion that erupted when an annual July 3 celebration in the west Fort Worth neighborhood was interrupted by gunfire.
The violence near a parking lot at the intersection of Horne Street and Diaz Avenue was captured on video by a bystander and shared by KTVT-TV on social media. Surveillance video obtained by KXAS-TV provides a different angle of the scene.
Moments before the shooting, a relaxed crowd enjoys a fireworks display. Bursts of pink and gold light up the sky, and on the ground people are talking and laughing. Then a steady pop, pop, pop is heard, and the crowd start to run.
“Where, where, where, where?” yells one man and another man calls for people to “take cover.” Confused shouting follows as people scramble to find safety and see where the gunfire is coming from.
The popping noises continue at intervals and the sound of engines revving is heard in the background. Vehicles start pulling out of the area.
Near a house a woman instructs some people to “Get behind the car.”
A security video without audio shows more than 50 people standing in a parking lot. A woman appears to be taking photos or video with her phone and others look like they’re talking. The next instant everyone is running for cover, with some taking refuge behind parked cars.
Several hundred people gathered on the corner of Horne Street and Diaz Avenue following ComoFest, the west Fort Worth neighborhood’s annual July 3 celebration. Around 11:45 p.m., several unidentified gunmen started firing indiscriminately into the crowd, police said.
One person was pronounced dead at the scene of the shooting, and others were taken by private vehicles and ambulances to hospitals.
Family members said Paul Willis, 18, was one of those killed in the shooting. Cynthia Santos, 22, and Gabriella Navarrete, 18, also died, according to the Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s Office.
Those who were wounded were taken to three hospitals and their condition is unknown. None of the injured were suspects in the shooting, police said.
Witnesses couldn’t tell whether the rounds were fired by Como residents or outsiders. The shooting wasn’t related to ComoFest, according to police and Mayor Mattie Parker.
No suspects are in custody. Homicide detectives were pursuing leads but hadn’t determined the assailants’ names, a police spokesperson said Tuesday. The motive for the shooting remains under investigation. No new developments were available to share Wednesday afternoon, police said.
Detectives are asking anyone with information, video or other evidence to call the Homicide Unit at 817-392-4330.
This story was originally published July 5, 2023 at 2:54 PM.
