Shooting at West 7th bar leads to Fort Worth police chase. One suspect shot the other.
Fort Worth police chased two men accused of firing a gun outside a bar in the West 7th entertainment district on Sunday night, Jan. 12, and one of the suspects was shot when the two men apparently struggled over the weapon, police said.
The men discharged the firearm outside El Chingon bar and restaurant, at 2800 Bledsoe St., about 10 p.m. Sunday, a police spokesperson wrote in a statement.
Detectives determined that the suspects had been turned away from entering the business, and after they got into a car to leave, they shot at two bar patrons outside who they may have had an altercation with earlier. No one was hit by the gunfire.
Off-duty Fort Worth police officers in uniform who were working on a security detail nearby confronted the suspects when they drove away and crashed into a parked car on Bledsoe Street, police said, and the suspects shot at the officers. The officers drew their weapons but did not return fire, according to the statement.
A police chase ensued. The pursuit ended when officers put down spike strips to disable the vehicle at West Berry Street and South Henderson Street, and they took the suspects into custody. No officers fired their weapons during the chase, police said.
At some point, when investigators believe that the two men were struggling over their gun inside the car, one of them shot the other in the arm, police said. The gunshot wound was not life-threatening.
The injured suspect was arrested and treated for his wound, and the other was transported to jail.
Jail records identify the suspects as 21-year-old Jesus Lopez and 19-year-old Santiago Lopez.
Jesus Lopez was arrested on suspicion of aggravated assault against a public servant, aggravated assault causing bodily injury with a deadly weapon, and deadly conduct/discharging a firearm. Santiago Lopez was arrested on suspicion of evading arrest with a vehicle, striking an unattended vehicle and five unrelated warrants, according to jail records.
One officer received minor injuries while deploying a tire deflation device during the chase, police said.
The department’s Gun Violence Unit will be responsible for the follow-up investigation.
This story was originally published January 13, 2025 at 9:54 AM.
