Teen sentenced to 40 years for Fort Worth drive-by shooting that injured 6
Teen sentenced for Fort Worth drive-by
19-year-old Allan Gilbert was sentenced to 40 years after pleading guilty to a drive-by shooting at a Fort Worth apartment complex that injured six people, including children. Families who lived in the apartment are still dealing with the fallout nearly one year later.
FORT WORTH, Texas - A 19-year-old has been sentenced to 40 years in prison for his role in a drive-by mass shooting that injured six people in Fort Worth last year.
Fort Worth shooting that injured 6
What we know:
Allan Gilbert, now 19, pleaded guilty to first-degree aggravated assault in connection to the shooting, which happened in May 2024. He was sentenced to 40 years in prison.
The backstory:
On May 1, 2024, Gilbert and four others fired multiple rounds in a drive-by shooting at the Miramar Apartments in Fort Worth.
Police responded to a shooting call at the complex on Las Vegas Trail around 7:30 p.m. Investigators say a Red Kia carrying five people, including Gilbert, drove by the apartments and opened fire, striking six individuals who were outside at the time.
The victims ranged in age from 3 to 19 years old. Five were taken to the hospital—one in critical condition and another in serious condition. Both survived.
Police said the children did not know the shooters and were not targeted. Investigators believe the intended target was among those shot and lived near the apartment complex.
Arrests
Within weeks of the shooting, five suspects were arrested. They were from Fort Worth, Bedford, DeSoto and Dallas:
- Jamal Piper, 17
- Hayden Bates-Vellmure, 18
- Jordan Elijah Jackson, 20
- Allan Gilbert, 18 at the time
- Patrick Biscoe, 19
Each was charged with multiple counts of aggravated assault causing serious bodily injury and one count of deadly conduct for discharging a firearm at a habitation. The other four suspects have not yet had their court dates.
In a statement, Fort Worth police said Gilbert is a documented member of the Bloods street gang.
Victims' families on shooting
What they're saying:
The children who were injured still have regular medical appointments as they deal with their injuries.
Nearly a year after the shooting, the memories still haunt the families of those affected.
"There are days I just sit there and it pops in my mind. It plays out everything that happened," said Mary Jane Gonzalez, whose son was nearly hit by the bullets.
Video from inside one of the apartments shows 9-year-old Ewon hiding inside their old Fort Worth apartment during the rapid gunfire.
Video shows boy dodging bullets during FW shooting
RAW: Video from inside an apartment shows a boy dodging bullets. You can see the boy on the couch directly in front of a window when bullets come flying into the apartment.
He was not injured in the shooting.
Gonzalez still lives in North Texas, but moved as far as she could from Fort Worth.
"You can see the dim that he has because of what happened," she said. "We have to pick up our children's pieces as well and it is something that never should've happened."
Gonzalez remembers running outside to render aid to victims.
"I get emotional about it every time I talk," she said.
What's next:
Another suspect, Patrick Biscoe, is expected to take a plea deal on April 17.
Gonzalez is preparing her written statement for the hearing.
Many of the families are waiting for Hayden Bates-Vellmure to be sentenced. Fort Worth police say he is the one who orchestrated the targeted shooting. His date has not been set.
The Source: Information in this article comes from Fort Worth Police and court records.