Fort Worth man killed his uncle while shooting at a different target, police say
A targeted shooting in Fort Worth earlier this month led to a 19-year-old killing his uncle as they were riding in the same car, police said Saturday.
Derrick Sanders Jr. is charged with felony murder for the death of his uncle, 40-year-old Christopher Sanders Sr.
Fort Worth PD said the two men were in a blue Dodge Charger with four others on the afternoon of Dec. 1, as it followed a black Chrysler 300 that left an apartment complex near Western Center Boulevard and went north on Mark IV Parkway. Christopher Sanders was in the passenger seat and Derrick Sanders was in the back on the driver's side, police said.
As the Dodge followed the Chrysler, police said both Christopher and Derrick Sanders fired shots at the Chrysler. A short time later, officers responded to the Garden Gate apartment complex on North Beach Street, where they found Christopher Sanders dead in the vehicle.
Police said they found surveillance video of the start of the incident, which showed Derrick Sanders hanging out of the rear driver's side window and firing shots toward the Chrysler. However, some bullets from his weapon were fired at a downward angle which went through the roof of the Dodge and hit Christopher Sanders in the head, detectives found.
Police said it was evident that the shooting targeting the Chrysler was pre-planned because the people in the Dodge were wearing gloves and the license plates were covered up by paper tags. Derrick Sanders faces the felony murder charge for causing the death of Christopher Sanders while committing the felony of shooting at an occupied vehicle.
No one else involved has been identified so far, and police have not said if anyone else who was in the Dodge will face charges in connection with the shooting.