Fort Worth police charge 2 with capital murder in Thanksgiving shootout
Paige Wheaton (left) and Tai Sanders (right)
FORT WORTH, Texas - Two women have been charged with capital murder in connection with a Thanksgiving night shootout in Fort Worth that killed two and injured a third.
What We Know: Fort Worth police arrested 17-year-old Tai Sanders and 20-year-old Paige Wheaton. They were charged with capital murder in the death of J'Taviain Howard.
Both are currently being held in the Tarrant County jail.
Police said the pair were in a group text with two men that showed they planned to rob Howard at gunpoint.
During the robbery, police said the two men and Howard got into a gunfight and all three were shot. Howard was taken to an area hospital where he died.
Another man, 18-year-old Javon Gayton, was pronounced dead at the scene. A third was taken to the hospital in critical condition.
Timeline: Police were able to put together a timeline of the events leading up to the shooting by reviewing camera footage.
According to the warrant for Sanders, investigators said:
- 9:35 p.m. - Howard parks his car near Broadmoor Apartments
- 9:42 p.m. - Gayton and the other man leave the apartment complex on foot and cross the street while passing by Howard's vehicle before crossing again and walking back toward Howard's vehicle.
- 9:45 p.m. - Gayton and the other man rush Howard's vehicle. A female jumps out of the passenger seat and runs away. A shootout between the three occurs and all three men are shot.
- 9:46 p.m. - The woman who ran from Howard's vehicle is picked up by a car leaving the apartment complex.
The affidavit states that police received a tip that led investigators to Sanders and Wheaton.
Police were able to interview Sanders who told them she was with Wheaton and the two men on Thanksgiving and that she had been talking to a man on Snapchat and was going to meet him.
While she was in the vehicle, she said two men came up to them with guns and she ran before being picked up by Wheaton, the affidavit states.
The affidavit states police were able to perform a forensic search on Sanders' phone and found a group chat with her, Wheaton and the two men discussing the attempted robbery.