Three people were killed and eight others were wounded in a shooting at a Fourth of July celebration late Monday night in Fort Worth. Gunfire erupted shortly before midnight as several hundred people gathered in the city’s historic Como neighborhood for the annual ComoFest, a Fourth of July celebration, police said.
Upon arrival, police found multiple victims in a parking lot in the 3400 block of Horne Street, near Diaz Avenue, in west Fort Worth. Police said a total of 11 people were shot, including 10 adults and one juvenile. One person was pronounced dead at the scene, while two others died later.
One victim was identified by the Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s office as 22-year-old Cynthia Quadalupe Santos. Identities of other victims are not yet known.
On Twitter, Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker said she was devastated by news of the shooting.
“My heart breaks for the victims, their loved ones, and the entire Como community that works to build positivity and celebration in their community and our city,” Parker said.
ComoFest is the annual Fourth of July celebration for Fort Worth’s Como neighborhood, a historically Black community on the city’s west side. In 2021, eight people were shot and wounded near a car wash following the inaugural ComoFest.
Community members started ComoFest as an extension of the neighborhood’s Fourth of July parade, which has been a staple for more than 70 years. As of Tuesday morning, no arrests have been made and a motive was unclear.
Police asked that anyone with information in connection with the shooting contact the department’s homicide unit at 817-392-4330 or Crime Stoppers. “If anyone has personal videos during the time of the shooting or events leading up to the shooting they are asked to contact police,” police said.
This is a developing story and will be updated.