Fort Worth's West 7th Street Entertainment District shaken again by weekend shooting
FORT WORTH, Texas - Police in Fort Worth are looking into a shooting in West 7th Street's busy entertainment district.
Repeated violence is troubling to business owners who say they are doing what they can to keep their customers and the area safe.
It was a busy scene with St. Patrick’s Day revelers last Saturday night just after midnight.
Fort Worth officers separated foot traffic from the spot where a man was discovered shot and seriously injured. As of Monday afternoon, no suspect has been identified.
Bar owner Emil Bragdon operates multiple establishments in the West 7th Street Entertainment District. He’s among the district’s vocal majority regarding steps implemented to increase safety.
"What happened on Saturday was an isolated incident," he said. "Two people fighting or arguing, whatever they were doing."
Bragdon admits it’s frustrating to see what police call ‘isolated violent incidents’ that occur on the streets. Saturday night’s shooting was the second in a little over two weeks.
On March 2, an argument on nearby Crockett Street over a relationship ended with gunfire and one man dead.
In September, a TCU student was shot and killed in the same area during what investigators call a ‘random act of violence.’
"When things like this happen, we’re doing what we are supposed to be doing," Bragdon said. "They are completely isolated incidents. Two people didn’t like each other. They ended up carrying out what they carried out."
This past weekend, police say a bike patrol unit responded to the shooting call at Bledsoe and Currie streets. Thus far, police have only said the man was shot after a verbal altercation.
Featured
Fort Worth hires company to patrol West 7th district
Ambassadors will welcome visitors to the Fort Worth West 7th entertainment district and act as a second set of eyes for law enforcement.
Bragdon believes the businesses of West 7th Street district are acting responsibly to make its nightlife safe.
"If we noticed stuff like that happening within our establishment, we jump in immediately. Our staff jumps in, our officers or security jumps in to diffuse that," he said. "The problem is when they’re in the street and they’re acting how they’re acting, there’s no one to diffuse it."
City of Fort Worth announces new safety improvements on West 7th after TCU student's murder
Recently, Fort Worth police have said the routine detail for the area includes more than 25 patrol officers nightly.
Business owners like Bragdon say the crime dilemma is frustrating, and they will continue to remain vigilant.
"We take it very seriously, and we do what we need to do to the most that we can do it," he said.