Fort Worth police have not announced any arrests and say the motive for the shooting is unknown. They also haven’t determined if more than one gunman was responsible. According to NBC 5, police have confirmed that one of the injured is a juvenile. Fox 4 posted a video of the crowd reacting to the gunshots.
The Dallas Morning News reported "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."
“Fort Worth Police Department Captain Shawn Murray said the crime scene spanned a couple of blocks in the area of Diaz Avenue and Horne Street,” according to NBC 5.
A police spokesman at the scene said that first responders experienced difficulty getting through the crowd to those in need of medical attention. As the spokesman provided his comments well past midnight, nearby fireworks could be heard popping in the neighborhood.
Fort Worth police are also investigating a separate shooting from late Monday night, in the Polytechnic Heights neighborhood, where three people were injured and are now recovering.
Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker tweeted, "I am devastated by the news of a mass shooting in Fort Worth last night. 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."
The shooting took place after ComoFest had ended. Fort Worth Star-Telegram columnist Bud Kennedy noted on Twitter that this isn't the first time violence erupted during the long-running neighborhood event.
“The late-night gathering has been the subject of annual concern for at least 35 years,” he stated. “In 1988, rocks and bottles were thrown at passing cars on Horne Street and 15 people were arrested.”
The late-night gathering has been the subject of annual concern for at least 35 years. In 1988, rocks and bottles were thrown at passing cars on Horne Street and 15 people were arrested.
— Bud Kennedy / #ReadLocal (@BudKennedy) July 4, 2023
In 2021, eight people were shot following the ComoFest activities. No one was killed in that incident. KERA reported at the time that the Fort Worth shooting was one example of the wave of gun violence that swept over North Texas during that holiday weekend.
