Songs of worship were sung and tears were shed Friday evening outside of the Tarrant County Courthouse in downtown Fort Worth, where an activist group protested gun violence in light of shootings over the Fourth of July weekend.
“Our city is hurting from the north side, to the east side, to the west side, to the south side,” said Donnell Ballard, founder of activist group United My Justice, at a vigil where community members were welcome to grieve together.
Three people were killed and eight others were injured Monday evening at an afterparty following the annual neighborhood celebration ComoFest when two gunmen fired into the crowd. On Friday afternoon, police arrested two suspects in that shooting, which investigators said was gang-related.
At another July Fourth block party early Wednesday in northwest Fort Worth, two men who police said were armed were fatally shot by officers. Authorities said officers saw the two men, Bronshay Minter, 30, and Billy Jaquan Smith, 21, in an altercation.
“This is not just about one part, this is about the whole entire city,” Ballard said. Fort Worth is one of 10 U.S. cities this month with shootings resulting in the injury or death of four or more people, according to the Gun Violence Archive.
Kyev Tatum, pastor at New Mount Rose Missionary Baptist Church, said the Fort Worth community not only grieves for Como but also for Minter, Smith, and Andra Craig, who died when his vehicle was in a collision with a police SUV that was pursuing another car on Thursday evening. Craig was not involved in the chase.
“Not enough attention has been given to families to help them heal during this tragedy,” Tatum said. The family of 18-year-old Gabriella Navarrete, one of the three victims who were killed in the Como shooting, attended the vigil. Family members and loved ones of Billy Jaquan Smith, including his mother Cynthia Smith, were also at the event.
Vincent Cardona, 19, told the Star-Telegram at the vigil that he was hurting for Gabriella, who he was friends with, and for Cynthia, who he knew through a mutual friend. “She was just a blessing,” said Cardona about Gabriella. “All she wanted to do is just be out there for her family.”
“She just wanted to be there for her kid. It’s just a tragedy what happened to her,” Cardona said. “The kid is still a little baby and now they’re not going to know what happened to their mom.”
Cardona asked attendees at the vigil to pray “and just be there for the families.” Tatum said that police and Fort Worth city leaders failed to provide support to the community in response to the recent shootings.
“Why are we here? Because the mayor did not call us together. Why do we have this meeting? Because city leadership did not call us together,” Tatum said. “It takes people who are willing to challenge the status quo in this city to be able to put the pressure to get them to do something.” Tatum said United My Justice established a faith-based task force to address gun violence among youths.
“We grieve for our city because when we need real leadership, our mayor, and other leaders are missing in action,” Tatum said. Lee Muhammad, minister at Muhammad Mosque #52 of the Nation of Islam, said the community, including city leaders, need to communicate and strategize to begin healing.
“We’re not asking you to throw a whole bunch of money at the problem, but love don’t cost a thing,” said Muhammad. “And when you don’t have love, which is a natural need, then what happens is that you see us turning toward hatred for one another.”
“We’re asking the city of Fort Worth to look past all the faults that you see in our communities and look at the needs,” Muhammad said. “It’s time for gun violence to stop.”
United My Justice had just held a press conference two weeks ago on June 23 outside of Fort Worth City Hall, where they demanded city leaders and police to take action in response to a recent increase in gun violence.
City leaders pointed to a program being implemented this summer they say is designed to combat gun violence among teens. The One Second Collaborative is a partnership among agencies including the city, the police department, Tarrant County and United Way that “brings an evidence-based approach to addressing youth violence by uniting and coordinating community-based organizations that deliver street outreach, education, counseling, life coaching and other support to young people,” city officials said in a news release.
“To create lasting solutions, we must be pro-police and pro-community at the same time through dynamic efforts like the One Second Collaborative coming online this summer and the CCPD (Crime Control and Prevention District) grants that are open now,” said Mayor Mattie Parker in a statement to the Star-Telegram on June 24. “I continue to be committed to working with FWPD on this, as well as the many community groups invested in creating a safer Fort Worth, and my door is open to meeting with residents with concerns.”