‘His leadership will be missed on our campus:’ Vigil planned for TCU student Wes Smith
READ MORE
Wes Smith
Texas Christian University junior and former Horned Frog football team member Wes Smith was fatally shot in the West 7th district in the early hours of Sept. 1, 2023. Here’s everything we know about what happened.
Expand All
A vigil for Wes Smith, the TCU student killed in an apparently random act of violence in Fort Worth on Friday, is planned for Wednesday night on the university campus.
The vigil is scheduled for 8 p.m. at Frog Fountain, according to an email from TCU Vice Chancellor Kathy Cavins-Tull to the TCU community.
“Attendees will be encouraged to gather for a quiet time of reflection or prayer and then step forward and place a small candle around the fountain in memory of their classmate, colleague and friend,” Cavins-Tull said. “Near the end of the vigil, participants will be invited to share a brief memory or offer words of support.”
The vigil is private to the TCU community, according to a university spokesperson.
Smith, 21, of Germantown, Tennessee, was shot early Friday while standing near the intersection of Bledsoe and Norwood streets in the West 7th district, according to police.
Officers were who patrolling the area heard several gunshots and responded to the 3000 block of Bledsoe Street shortly after 1 a.m. Friday, Fort Worth police said. They found Smith lying on the ground. He had been struck by gunfire multiple times in his upper body. Smith was transported to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead about 1:45 a.m., according to police.
Officers apprehended the suspect, Matthew Purdy, 21, a short time later less than a mile from the shooting scene after spotting him in a parking lot outside Farrington Field. Purdy told homicide detectives that he shot Smith three times but could not explain why he did it, according to an arrest warrant affidavit. Purdy told police he did not know Smith. He faces a charge of murder.
Family and friends are remembering Smith as an outgoing young man who loved people and was a joy to be around.
Smith, a junior and finance major, was a member of the Neeley School of Business and the Kappa Sigma fraternity, Cavins-Tull said. He was part of the Transaction and Investment Professionals Board, “a competitive mentorship program that prepares students for a career in finance.”
Smith led Bible studies through the Christian organization Young Life and volunteered as a football coach for middle schoolers at All Saints Episcopal School, where he coached Mayor Mattie Parker’s son. He was a walk-on member of TCU’s Horned Frogs football team during his freshman year.
“His fraternity brothers describe Wes as a role model to all and a man with infectious energy whose presence would light up a room,” Cavins-Tull said. “His faith was important to him and helping others lean into their faith was a passion for Wes developed by his close-knit family. His leadership will be missed on our campus.”
Counseling is available to students through the TCU Counseling and Mental Health Center, Office of Religious and Spiritual Life, and Dean of Students, according to Cavins-Tull.
This story was originally published September 5, 2023 at 1:56 PM.
