Woman mourns loss of her only brother, killed in gun violence in Fort Worth
A Fort Worth woman lost her only sibling to gun violence.
Theressa James was leaving work when she saw on Facebook “someone got killed on Lancaster,” and the shooting was on a part of the street where she knew her brother usually spent time, she said.
James was scrolling through the comments on the Facebook post to find out who was shot when her mom called to let her know it was her brother, Tarron Sean Allen.
Fort Worth police responded to the shooting in the 2200 block of East Lancaster Avenue, east of downtown, on Thursday, Feb. 27. A 911 caller reported that a man was shot near East Lancaster and Bomar avenues about 5:40 p.m.
Officers found Allen, 43, with a gunshot wound to his upper body and he was taken to John Peter Smith Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, police said.
Allen had been incarcerated for much of his life, and when he came home he tried to do the right things, his sister said. The siblings talked to each other at least once or twice a week, James told the Star-Telegram.
She said her brother was a good listener. “If you had a problem and needed somebody to talk to, he was always there.”
James said their mother is at a loss for words because Allen was her youngest son. “I’m having to plan his funeral. She wanted me to do it because she doesn’t have the strength.”
Talking about how gun violence can impact families, James said people should be careful and watch over their kids and emphasized the importance of good parenting.
James said she wants her brother to be remembered as someone who was goofy, positive and loved his family and God.
“He was life — he gave everybody life,” she said.
Allen volunteered with a church in the park program, according to social media posts.
“I’m all over the place because we can’t even have an open casket,” James said. “The guy shot him in his face — he wasn’t even recognizable.”
“I’m more hurt that I can’t even see him for a final time before I do say goodbye to him,” she said. “My brother did not deserve that.”
Homicide detectives learned that Allen had been involved in an argument with the suspect, who left the scene before officers arrived, police said. Police have not said what the argument was about.
Sheldon Johnson, 53, was arrested in connection with the shooting and booked into the Tarrant County Jail on Sunday, March 2. Johnson is charged with murder and is being held on $300,000 bond, according to jail records.