5 dead including 2 kids after 4th of July shootings in east, south Fort Worth, police say

At least five people died, including two young children, and multiple victims were injured on Fourth of July night after apparently unrelated shootings in east and south Fort Worth, according to police.

Officers responded to the first homicide scene in an area near Castleman Street and Wiman Drive around 11:30 p.m. A 911 caller said there was shooting going on in the residential neighborhood and there were so many gunshots that the caller could not get out of her car.

Gunshots were fired while people in the area were holding a block party to celebrate the Fourth of July, neighbors told the Star-Telegram.

Officers found a woman with a fatal gunshot wound and another person who had suffered a medical emergency, police said in a news release. Both of them died at a local hospital.

Two additional shooting victims were taken to hospitals and are expected to survive, according to police. A spokesperson for MedStar said that the ambulance service transported five people to local hospitals from the east Fort Worth scene — two with minor injuries and three in critical condition. All of those patients were adults, according to MedStar.

The shooting took place after a crowd estimated at 200 to 300 people “took over multiple blocks on Castleman St. and were launching fireworks towards neighboring homes,” police said.

Homicide detectives believe that multiple suspects are responsible for the gunfire and are working to determine their identities. Police asked that anyone with information contact Tarrant County CrimeStoppers at 817-469-TIPS (8477) or www.469TIPS.com. Tipsters may remain anonymous.

According to the Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s Office, one of the people who died was Marcus Martin Jr., 26, of San Diego, California. He died early Friday morning at Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital on 5th Avenue after he was taken to the hospital from the 3700 block of Castleman Street. An autopsy is pending to determine his cause of death.

Tributes also poured in on social media for a 39-year-old woman who friends said was shot near Castleman Street. One resident said the woman who died was her cousin.

Residents said the block party was very crowded and someone initially called police to help clear out people, but that police did not disperse the crowd.

Facebook Live video posted by the woman who died showed a heavy police presence on Castleman Street around 10:50 p.m., with officers blocking off part of the road at one point and more police cars appearing to circle the block, driving past a large crowd that lined the street as people shot off fireworks.

Young children among dead in shooting at car wash

Police said another shooting at a car wash in south Fort Worth is also being investigated as a homicide. Officers responded to the Crystal Car Wash at 7524 W. Cleburne Road, in far southwest Fort Worth, around 11:40 p.m.

A 4-year-old girl, a 15-month-old girl and a man were killed there.

When officers arrived, they found the man with a gunshot wound to his lower body. He was taken to a hospital, where he died. Five additional people with injuries from the same shooting incident were taken to hospitals in private vehicles, police said.

The Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s Office identified the children who died as 4-year-old Ivy Pierce and 1-year-old Wynter Thouston.

The other three people who were hospitalized are expected to survive, according to police.

Detectives learned that a fight broke out between the shooter and one of the victims, police said. The suspect began shooting at that victim and others who were present.

Police said they determined that the suspect was also shot.

Any additional victims will be identified by the medical examiner.

No arrests have been announced in either shooting.

It appears a Fourth of July celebration also was going near the car wash on Thursday night. Debris from fireworks was piled up in one of the car wash bays. A pink backpack was also left behind at the scene.

The car wash was open on Friday morning. Some customers who were washing their cars said they had not heard about the shooting. One man who works in the area told the Star-Telegram he stopped using the car wash because there were often people hanging out there, sitting in lawn chairs, at night, although he hadn’t seen the group cause any problems.

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“My heart breaks for the families who are waking up after the 4th of July, a day meant for celebration, to grieve the loss of young lives taken from senseless crime,” Fort Worth Police Chief Neil Noakes said in a statement. “We share in their grief and remain committed to ensuring the safety and well-being of our community.”