5 dead including 2 kids after 4th of July shootings in east, south Fort Worth, police say

Five people, including two little girls, died and at least five others were injured on Fourth of July night in unrelated shootings in east and south Fort Worth, according to police.

Officers responded to the first killing scene in an area near Castleman Street and Wiman Drive about 11:30 p.m. A 911 caller said there was shooting going on in the residential neighborhood and there were so many gunshots that the caller could not get out of her car.

Gunshots were fired while people in the area were holding a block party to celebrate the Fourth of July , neighbors told the Star-Telegram.

Officers found a woman with a fatal gunshot wound and another person who had suffered a medical emergency, police said. Both died at a hospital.

Two additional shooting victims were taken to hospitals and are expected to survive, according to police. A spokesperson for MedStar said that the ambulance service transported five people to hospitals from the east Fort Worth scene — two with minor injuries and three in critical condition. All of those patients were adults, according to MedStar.

The shooting took place after a crowd estimated at 200 to 300 people “took over multiple blocks on Castleman St. and were launching fireworks towards neighboring homes,” police said.

According to the Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s Office, one of the people who died was Marcus Martin Jr., 26, of San Diego, California. He was pronounced dead early Friday at Texas Health Harris Methodist on 5th Avenue after he was taken to the hospital from the 3700 block of Castleman Street. An autopsy is pending to determine his cause of death.

Her fiance identified the woman who was killed as Tasha Hymond , 39, a makeup artist from Fort Worth. The couple were attending the block party, which was near his parents’ home, to celebrate the holiday.

Residents said the block party was very crowded and someone initially called police to help clear out people, but that police did not disperse the crowd.

Facebook Live video posted on Hymond’s page showed a heavy police presence on Castleman Street about 10:50 p.m., with officers blocking off part of the road at one point and more police cars appearing to circle the block, driving past a large crowd that lined the street as people shot off fireworks.

No arrests were announced in the Castleman Street-Wiman Drive shooting.

Homicide detectives believe that multiple suspects are responsible for the gunfire and are working to determine their identities. Police asked that anyone with information contact Tarrant County CrimeStoppers at 817-469-8477 or www.469TIPS.com . Tipsters may remain anonymous.

Young children among dead in shooting at car wash

Two toddlers were among six people who were shot at a car wash in far southwest Fort Worth.

A 4-year-old girl, a 15-month-old girl and a man were killed about 11:40 p.m. at the Crystal Clean Car Wash at 7524 W. Cleburne Road, police said.

The man was shot in the lower body. He was taken in an ambulance to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

The suspect was among five other people, including the children, who were shot at the same time and who were taken in private vehicles to a hospital, police said. The suspect was shot by another person.

Kanard Murphy, 26, was arrested on suspicion of capital murder of multiple persons, police said.

Murphy was on Friday afternoon booked into the Fort Worth city jail after he received a medical evaluation at a hospital.

The Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s Office identified the children who were killed as 4-year-old Ivy Pierce and 1-year-old Wynter Thouston. They died early Friday at Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Southwest Fort Worth.

The other three people who were hospitalized are expected to survive, police said.

The killings occurred when a fight broke out between Murphy and one of the victims, police said. The suspect began shooting at that victim and others who were present.

Any additional victims will be identified by the medical examiner.

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It appears a Fourth of July celebration also was underway near the car wash on Thursday night. Debris from fireworks was piled up in one of the car wash bays. A pink backpack was also left behind at the scene.

The car wash was open on Friday morning. Some customers who were washing their cars said they had not heard about the shooting. One man who works in the area told the Star-Telegram he stopped using the car wash because there were often people hanging out there, sitting in lawn chairs, at night, although he had not seen the group cause any problems.

“My heart breaks for the families who are waking up after the 4th of July, a day meant for celebration, to grieve the loss of young lives taken from senseless crime,” Fort Worth Police Chief Neil Noakes wrote in a statement. “We share in their grief and remain committed to ensuring the safety and well-being of our community.”

Fort Worth police have investigated 36 homicides this year, compared with 46 at this time last year, the Police Department said.

Staff writer Emerson Clarridge contributed to this report.