Man shot, killed on Crockett Street in West 7th area; Fort Worth police search for suspect
A man died after he was shot in the 2900 block of Crockett Street in the West 7th entertainment district in Fort Worth about 10:15 p.m. Saturday night, and police are searching for the shooter.
Paramedics with MedStar and the fire department were seen treating the victim on the sidewalk. Medics performed CPR on the man and appeared to bandage his chest and side before he was taken to a local hospital. Police told the Star-Telegram in an email that the man died of his injuries.
The Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s Office has identified the victim as Bryson Rodgers, 29, of Fort Worth. An exact cause of death has not yet been determined by the medical examiner.
There was a large police presence in the area. One officer at the scene said the suspect was believed to have left in a car. Police said in the email about midnight that the suspect fled the scene before officers arrived and was still at large. No description of the suspect has been released and police did not confirm a description of the car mentioned by the officer at the scene or whether officers were in pursuit of the vehicle.
Police said the shooting came after “an altercation” between the suspect and the victim outside a business on Crockett Street. About five shots were heard. Police said the victim was shot multiple times.
A bartender at a restaurant near where the shooting happened told the Star-Telegram that after the shots were fired, she saw a man with a gun run away from the shooting scene toward Foch Street and then run back toward Norwood Street.
Witnesses were told to stay indoors while police investigated. Police advised businesses in the area to keep people inside and away from the windows, but customers and employees were allowed to leave around 11 p.m.
The sound of the gunshots sent the crowded area into chaos. Bystanders ran screaming into local businesses for cover while people in those businesses sought cover or fled out back doors. Several people shouted for those around them to “get down.”
Sirens could be heard in the area minutes after the shooting. Police closed off the block as paramedics tried to help the man who was shot. One woman screamed desperately at the victim to get up. Less than 10 minutes after he was shot, paramedics had him on a gurney and were announcing to someone who knew him that he was being taken to a local hospital.
Homicide detectives are investigating the shooting.
Fort Worth police routinely patrol the West 7th area at night. The City of Fort Worth boosted police presence in the entertainment district last fall after a shooting that killed TCU student Wes Smith outside a bar on Bledsoe Street in September. Police arrested 21-year-old Matthew Purdy, who they say admitted to shooting Smith, a stranger to him, without providing any clear reason why.
City leaders also unveiled plans to limit the concentration of bars and clubs in the area, create a West Seventh ambassador program like the one downtown, add more street lights, implement safety training for bar staff and use off-duty police officers to check patrons for firearms.
Fort Worth also contributed $50,000 to a $150,000 safety study looking at the city’s entertainment districts, which, in addition to West 7th, includes the Stockyards, Near Southside, and downtown.
This story was originally published March 2, 2024 at 10:33 PM.
