Three people were killed and eight others injured when shots were fired into a crowd of hundreds following a festival in a Texas neighbourhood, authorities said.
The shooting in the Fort Worth neighbourhood of Como happened at about 11:47 p.m. on Monday, and police said a chaotic scene followed as people tried to flee on foot and in vehicles as shots rang out. The shooting happened just hours after the end of the Independence Day celebration called ComoFest in the historically Black neighborhood.
Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker said she was “devastated" by the 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,” Mr. Parker said on Twitter.
Police said that responding officers found multiple victims in a parking lot, including one who was pronounced dead at the scene. Others were taken to hospitals by ambulance or private vehicles.
One of the 11 victims is a juvenile, police said.
No arrests had been made as of Tuesday morning. It was also unclear how many people may have opened fire.
Police arrive on the scene of a deadly shooting late Monday, July 3, 2023 in Forth Worth, Texas. Authorities say gunfire erupted following a local festival in the Como neighbourhood in the city’s southwest. | Photo Credit: AP
The ComoFest celebration had been held in a park a several blocks away from where the shots were fired. Following the inaugural celebration in 2021, eight people were shot and wounded near a car wash in the area.
The neighbourhood also has been holding an annual Fourth of July parade for more than 70 years. On Tuesday morning, people gathered for the parade along the street where the shooting had occurred the night before.
In Philadelphia on Monday right, a heavily armed gunman in a bulletproof vest opened fire on the city's streets, killing five people and wounding two boys before surrendering, police there said. On Sunday in Baltimore, two people were killed and 28 others were wounded in a shooting at a holiday weekend block party.
