Suspects still at large after shooting of 3 female employees in Fort Worth bank holdup
At least two male suspects who shot and seriously injured three women bank employees in west Fort Worth are still at large and should be considered armed and dangerous, Fort Worth police said Thursday.
Just before noon, police surrounded a house in the 5700 block of Blackmore Street. A SWAT team was at the site and officers could be seen pointing guns at the structure.
About 2:30 p.m., a man was handcuffed and put in the back of a police cruiser. In all, three people were detained, but authorities said they were still being interviewed and they had not determined if they were involved in the attempted bank holdup.
When asked if there were other suspects, FBI Special Agent in Charge Eric Jackson said Thursday the investigation is continuing.
The shooting was reported as a robbery of the Veritex Bank location at 2424 Merrick Street at 9:20 a.m., said Fort Worth police Sgt. Chris Britt, who said Fort Worth police are assisting the FBI.
Jackson said Thursday he did not know what led to the shooting.
Multiple shots were fired, Britt said. The three women were taken to area hospitals with serious but not life-threatening injuries, he said.
Investigators were inside the bank later Thursday morning looking for surveillance video and interviewing employees who were not injured. Police blocked off the 2400 block of Merrick Street near the intersection of Camp Bowie Boulevard.
Police vehicles fanned out throughout the Arlington Heights and West Byers neighborhoods searching for the suspects as a police helicopter flew overhead. A drone was also seen flying above. The Federal Bureau of Investigation is on scene and has taken over the investigation, Britt said.
The Fort Worth Police Department’s SWAT team was at the Blackmore Street location, but Britt didn’t know if anyone was inside the house, as no contact has been made with anyone. Britt called the response to the street an “overabundance of caution” but couldn’t say if the people in the house were connected to the robbery. Nearby residents were evacuated, he said.
Just before 2 p.m., Britt said police are “assuming it’s related” to the shooting.
Britt said earlier that officers were waiting for search warrants. A negotiator was brought to the scene, as is standard procedure, he said.
The president of Veritex Bank, C. Malcolm Holland, issued a statement Thursday afternoon pledging to cooperate with police and assist in the case. He added: “As you know, three of our valued team/family members were shot in an apparent robbery and are currently being attended to at Tarrant County hospitals. Our highest and greatest concern is for their health and full recovery. All our employees are special to us. ... We ask for prayers for a healthy and positive outcome for our three teammates which we believe is the best medicine.”
Earlier, a client at the Goldwaves hair salon across the street from the bank, was anxiously asking police officers about her sister, who she said works in the bank. She drove away before reporters could talk to her.
Britt said he didn’t know how the suspects fled from the bank but believes they were in a vehicle. He said police have interviewed several witnesses. He asked anyone with information to call 911.
Police don’t know if there were any customers in the bank when the shooting occurred, Britt said.
A resident who lives a block away said the bank, which was formerly a Liberty Bank location, has been a frequent target for robbery and that he helped police apprehend a suspect in a robbery there about two years ago, following the fleeing suspect in his vehicle.
That could not be immediately confirmed.
This story was originally published July 19, 2018 at 11:36 AM with the headline "Suspects still at large after shooting of 3 female employees in Fort Worth bank holdup."