TCU student fatally shot in West 7th Street area, police say a suspect is in custody
FORT WORTH (CBSNewsTexas.com) – A TCU student was fatally shot in the West 7th Street area of Fort Worth Friday morning.
Police say they were patrolling the area when they heard gunshots and responded to the scene at 3000 Bledsoe St. just after 1 a.m.
The student, Wes Smith, was found lying on the ground with gunshot wounds to his upper body. He was taken to an area hospital where he died from his injuries.
The suspect fled the scene on foot, assaulting a woman as he was doing so, police said.
After a search of the area, police say they have the suspect in custody.
Smith was a junior at TCU, studying finance. He was a member of the Kappa Sigma fraternity.
TCU is offering mental health resources and spiritual counseling for students and employees during this time.
Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker has since released the following statement:
"Early this morning, Wes Smith was shot and killed in a senseless act of gun violence. Wes was a TCU student and a remarkable young man who impacted countless lives including my own son as a football coach for his middle school team. Our family is praying and grieving for the entire TCU community and especially for Wes' family and friends.
I commend FWPD for taking swift action to prevent more lives from being lost. Despite increased security efforts in the West 7th area, this is a tragic setback. The City and FWPD must work diligently together with bar and business owners in the area in the coming days to find additional solutions and continue collaborative efforts to make the area safer."
