A college student was fatally shot at random outside a bar in Texas by a gunman who allegedly told police he would kill someone else — if he didn’t run out of bullets.
Wes Smith, a junior at Texas Christian University, was standing on the sidewalk near the Your Mom’s House bar in Fort Worth’s West 7th District shortly after 1 a.m. Friday when Matthew Purdy approached him, police said in an arrest warrant affidavit obtained by the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
Purdy, 21, had a brief conversation with Smith, also 21 — before shooting the former football player, police said.
Purdy then ran away.
Smith was taken to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead around 1:45 a.m., police said.
Smith wasn’t the only one allegedly attacked by Purdy, with two people telling police after the shooting that the gunman had charged at them and hit one of them in the back of the head, according to the affidavit.
TCU student Wes Smith was fatally shot by an unknown assailant Friday in Fort Worth, Texas.Twitter/@the_lewt
Police later found Purdy in a nearby parking lot and placed him in the back of a patrol car after patting him down.
One of the officers, however, eventually noticed Purdy in the back of the vehicle holding a handgun, according to the affidavit.
The accused shooter, believed to be hiding a gun in his crotch, had moved the gun and ejected shrapnel from the vehicle when the officer opened the door to check on him, according to the affidavit.
The shooting happened just after 1 a.m. in Fort Worth’s West 7th District. WFAA
Police also found what appeared to be fresh blood on the backpack he was carrying, according to the document.
Purdy, who did not know Smith, admitted to police he shot the victim three times: in the stomach, shoulder, and, when he was on the ground, in the back of the head “because he wanted to make sure he was dead,” authorities said.
The shooter told police he had “no apparent reason” to kill Smith and only opened fire after asking the victim if he knew his father, who had been attacked in the area, according to the affidavit.
Smith was standing near the bar “Your Mother’s House” when he was fatally shot. LinkedIn
Matthew Purdy did not know Smith before shooting him, according to police. Fort Worth Police
He would also shoot bystanders if he wasn’t out of ammunition, Purdy said.
Smith, originally from Germantown, Tenn., is a finance major and member of the Kappa Sigma fraternity at TCU, according to his LinkedIn profile.
During his freshman year, he was a free safety for the Horned Frogs varsity football team.
While attending school at St. George in Memphis for high school, Smith was captain of his football and basketball teams.
He was named the Tennessee DII-AA West Defensive Player of the year for football, the Star-Telegram reported.
Smith has been a free safety for TCU’s Horned Frogs football team his freshman year.Twitter/@Wes_Smith13
The late student’s family told the outlet that he was “an amazing and loving son, brother, cousin and friend.”
“We are saddened by his passing and ask for space to grieve at this very difficult time,” his family said in a statement.
Purdy, charged with murder, was on probation in an aggravated robbery case in Tarrant County.
He was transferred to the Tarrant County Jail and his bond was set at $500,000.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
