A teenager's birthday celebration turned tragic when gunshots erupted outside a church's event space in Fort Worth, Texas, leaving a 17-year-old boy with a bullet wound to the foot. The incident occurred late Saturday night in the parking lot shared by New Bethel Complete In Christ Church and the New Bethel Family Life Center, as reported by NBC DFW.
Fort Worth police were called to the 7300 block of South Freeway around 11:07 p.m., where they discovered the injured teen. He was quickly taken to an area hospital and is expected to recover from his injuries. According to FOX 4 News, the shooting appeared to be the result of a disturbance that began inside the facility, where a party for a 16-year-old was being hosted and then spilled into the parking area.
"We only have one individual who was struck, but one is too many," Fort Worth Officer Buddy Calzada remarked in a statement obtained by FOX 4 News. Police do not believe the teen was involved in the initial disturbance that led to the shooting. Detectives are now gathering details from witnesses, and despite no arrests having been made yet, they are confident that information gathered will lead to the identification and apprehension of the perpetrator.
"It just turned violent. Somebody went out to their car because of a discussion they didn't like and tried to solve it with violence, and that just cannot happen in Fort Worth," Officer Calzada told NBC DFW. Investigators have indicated they are making progress on the case: "Here in the next few days we're hoping to get that suspect and that weapon in our hands," Calzada added.
The event space, which is owned by the New Bethel Baptist Church, was rented out for the party, and church officials emphasized that the event had no direct church affiliation. The church's pastor, Rev. Michael Moore, expressed deep regret over the incident, stating, "It saddens us to know that any celebration could end with senseless gun violence, injuring a victim," in a statement reported by FOX 4 News. Officials confirmed that a security detail was present at the event, and measures such as weapon detection wands were employed, yet the firearm used was retrieved from a vehicle before being fired.
Authorities have said the shooter, when caught, is likely to face charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
