A late-night altercation at a Fort Worth nightclub erupted into chaos on Sunday, resulting in a shooting, a high-speed car chase, and a crash that ultimately sent multiple people to the hospital.
The incident began around 11 p.m. at a club in the 2500 block of N.E. 30th Street, where two large groups of people got into a heated argument at a Fort Worth area nightclub. Following the initial confrontation, one group was asked to leave the premises but soon returned, sparking another round of arguments.
As tensions flared, both groups exited the bar and entered their vehicles. According to Fort Worth Police, the occupants of a Dodge Charger opened fire on those in an SUV. In the ensuing chaos, the SUV collided with a nearby pickup truck.
The group in the Charger then fled the scene, leading to a high-speed police pursuit. The chase continued until the Charger lost control near the 3100 block of the North Freeway service road, crashing into an electric pole, reported Fox 4 KDFW.
The driver of the Charger was arrested and taken to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Other individuals involved in the crash received treatment from medical personnel at the scene and were later released.
Fort Worth Police are continuing to investigate the circumstances surrounding the altercation and the shooting that followed, per Fox 4.
Notably, another shooting near the Fort Worth Stockyards early Sunday morning resulted in one death and multiple injuries.
Police first responded to reports of gunfire in the parking lot of a business on N.W. 24th Street.
18-year-old Joseph Steven Padilla was pronounced dead at the scene. It happened to be the victim’s birthday.
Several other victims sustained gunshot wounds and were taken to local hospitals. They are expected to make a full recovery. An additional victim sought treatment at a hospital using a private vehicle, according to a report from CBS News.
Kevin Julian Aguilar, 19, has been charged with murder in connection to the shooting, as per Fort Worth jail records. He was taken into custody at the city jail shortly after 2 p.m. on Sunday.
With a murder rate of nearly 19 per 100,000 residents, Dallas was among the few major U.S. cities to see an uptick in murders last year. As previously reported by DX, criminal homicides surged by 25% in 2023 compared to the previous year.
Dallas’s approved $5.3 billion budget for the fiscal year 2024-2025, which began in October, includes an increase in funding for the Dallas Police Department. The DPD’s budget rose from $657 million to $719 million, representing a nearly 10% boost. However, despite being woefully short, the goal is to add only 2% more sworn officers.
DPD has been hindered in its efforts to manage crime in the City because of a chronic shortage of police officers and a budget that is far below other high-crime jurisdictions. The current number of sworn officers in the DPD is roughly 3,000, which falls short of the City’s 2015 recommendation of 4,000 officers. This shortage of police officers contributes to longer response times for emergency calls, as previously reported by DX.
