Local business owner killed in Fort Worth shooting; police searching for suspect
A local business owner died after he was shot outside his business and taken to a hospital in critical condition Monday afternoon.
A man fired into a truck, and the victim inside was not moving, according to a witness who called police. The victim was later identified as James Wilson, 74, of Forest Hill, by officials with the Tarrant County medical examiner’s office.
The shooting occurred at about 2:40 p.m. in the 2500 block of East Maddox Avenue, police reported.
Police are preparing a murder warrant and have identified a suspect who was known to Wilson, according to authorities and witnesses who surrounded the scene.
Wilson was sitting in his truck when the shooting occurred, according to police dispatcher call notes. When officers arrived, they discovered Wilson sitting in his truck with multiple gunshot wounds, police said.
One woman, Nathali Martinez, said she was driving when she heard two gunshots ring out and saw two men running in opposite directions.
“One of the men was running like he was unconcerned,” Martinez said. “Like, ‘Hey, I didn’t do nothing.’ But I’ve never seen anything happen like this around here before. I’m in insurance sales, so I’m on the streets every day between 11 and until 6, and I’ve never even heard any gunshots down here before.”
Another woman who did not want to be identified said Wilson owned the small business named James Welding, was well loved in the community, and would give people chance after chance. She said Wilson was helping the person she believes to be the shooting suspect get back on his feet.
She and others told Wilson to leave the man alone, the woman said.
Another woman who did not want to be identified said Wilson never bothered anyone and would help anyone who needed it.
“He was a good man,” the woman said about Wilson. “The suspect was in his mid-to-late 20s. He was just one of those dudes trying to be bad.”
This story was originally published June 3, 2019 at 5:46 PM with the headline "Local business owner killed in Fort Worth shooting; police searching for suspect."