Family stunned by shooting death of minister who ‘had a heart for people’

A man who was found in his car Sunday morning, shot in the chest and abdomen, was described Tuesday as a minister with a passion for helping the homeless.

The Tarrant County medical examiner’s office identified the man as Taifiq “Tai” Forney, 36, of Fort Worth.

Police found Forney in his car shortly before 7:30 a.m. Sunday in the 5300 block of Kutman Court in Fort Worth. He was pronounced dead at 8:10 a.m. at John Peter Smith Hospital, according to the medical examiner’s website. On Tuesday, his death was ruled a homicide.

“We are just floored,” said the Rev. Darin E. Floyd Sr., pastor of Greater Mount Moriah Baptist Church in Everman, where Forney and his wife were members. “We are desperately trying to find out what happened.”

Forney and his wife, Natasha, married in Fort Worth on July 15, according to Tarrant County records.

“It’s shocking,” said Beverly Watkins of Forest Hill, who described Forney as a son, though she is not his biological mother. “I’m just overwhelmed.”

Watkins said Forney’s wife called her Sunday morning to tell her the news.

“She said she had gotten up that morning and he was gone,” Watkins said.

Natasha Forney spoke through tears Tuesday. “Everything is happening so fast. I can’t believe it,” she said in a brief telephone interview. “I just want to thank all the people who have helped me.”

Tai Forney moved to Fort Worth about three years ago from Roanoke, Va., relatives said.

He had worked for the Everman school district, at a UPS warehouse and at Applebee’s in Arlington, his wife said.

Watkins said she met Tai Forney at Sweethome Church of God in Christ in Fort Worth about a year after he arrived.

Tai Forney made time to minister and volunteer in outreach programs for the needy of Tarrant County. He volunteered with the Tarrant Area Food Bank’s mobile food pantry in the Stop Six neighborhood of southeast Fort Worth.

He also volunteered and ministered at the Union Gospel Mission and the Salvation Army on East Lancaster Avenue, Watkins said.

“If someone was in need, he was there,” Watkins said.

Floyd said that Forney joined Greater Mount Moriah about a year ago and that he and his wife were active there.

“He never met a stranger,” Floyd said. “He was able to relate and talk to those on the street.”

Watkins said she last spoke with Forney on Saturday.

“He said they had just worked on the grounds of the church that morning,” Watkins said.

Natasha Forney said her husband was home at 5 a.m. Sunday but wasn’t there a few hours later.

“He was so close to home,” Natasha Forney said, referring to where police found him. “I’m just floored. I don’t know what happened to him.”

Natasha Forney said she was trying to remain strong.

“My husband had a heart for people,” she said. “He was a servant for the people, and that’s what I want people to remember about him.”

This story was originally published September 22, 2015 at 12:29 PM with the headline "Family stunned by shooting death of minister who ‘had a heart for people’."