‘More people equals more violence.’ Locals reflect on latest shooting in Fort Worth’s W 7th

Workers and customers at businesses in the West 7th entertainment district have mixed feelings about safety after a shooting Saturday night killed a man and sent a portion of the nightlife hub into chaos.

It’s unlikely people walking through the neighborhood Sunday afternoon would have guessed that a man was shot and killed on the sidewalk of Crockett Street around 10 p.m. Saturday. Restaurants were packed with brunch-goers, a mixture of chatter and music pouring out of Mash’d and Social House as couples strolled down the sidewalk and residents in the mixed-use area walked dogs.

West 7th looked the same as it would on just about any other Sunday, less than 15 hours after a man was fatally shot on the sidewalk in the 2900 block of Crockett Street.

Police said 29-year-old Bryson Rodgers was shot after a fight outside a business.

Paramedics with MedStar and the Fort Worth Fire Department arrived at the scene a couple minutes after shots were fired. They applied bandages to his chest and side and performed CPR before announcing to family or friends that he would be taken to a hospital.

Rodgers died there less than an hour later, according to the Tarrant County medical examiner. He was been described by friends and family in social media posts as a friendly person who avoided conflict, made those around him laugh and could be counted on to support his friends.

Police have not announced any arrests or publicly identified any suspects.

3rd shooting in W. 7th district

Saturday night’s shooting is the third in as many years. In 2022, a gunman opened fire outside the popular nightclub Varsity Tavern, now Tequila Ranch, on Morton Street. Two people were hospitalized. In September a former TCU football player, Wes Smith, was killed in a shooting on Bledsoe Street, outside the now-closed Your Mom’s House bar. Matthew Purdy faces a charge of murder in the killing of Smith.

Smith’s death prompted city leaders to make changes to the area, including requiring bars and clubs to provide extra security and increasing police presence in the busier parts of the entertainment district.

Several people told the Star-Telegram on Sunday that Saturday’s shooting has not changed their perspective on safety in the area. Those who felt the area was safe still feel that way, while those who have concerns said the shooting underscores their worries but hasn’t worsened them.

Some, like 27-year-old Taylor Robinson, said they already did not frequent the bars and restaurants on weekend nights. He and several other people walking through the area Sunday afternoon said that during the week or before sundown on Friday and Saturday, you likely won’t have anything to worry about as long as you’re aware of your surroundings and make smart decisions.

“You’re not trying to watch your back when you go out to have fun,” Robinson said.

He said he feels safe during the day and on most weeknights, but thinks the area needs more security on weekend nights.

Hannah Fulks, a 23-year-old barista at Avoca Coffee Roasters on Foch Street, said she generally feels safe in the area while the coffee shop is open. The shop, which had customers lining up for coffees and other drinks at about the same rate as any other Sunday, closes at 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday and at 4 p.m. Sundays, so she said she’s usually out of the area before bar-goers and more rowdy crowds show up.

Her concern is sexual harassment and assault. A 24-year-old man was sentenced to 55 years in prison in January, convicted of raping a woman in the area in 2022.

Fort Worth increases police presence

Police have increased their presence in the area, particularly on busier nights, but Fulks said it hasn’t completely solved the problem. She said she was recently walking through the area when a man pulled down his pants and began masturbating in front of her in broad daylight.

Fulks thinks the solution isn’t necessarily more policing, which she worries would cause problems particularly with people in the area experiencing homelessness, but wishes there was more awareness and even classes about consent and mental health.

Dalton Glasco, 33, also works at Avoca Coffee Roasters. Sunday afternoon he sat at a patio table outside the Durty Crow, a bar at the corner of Foch Street and Crockett Street. During the day, Glasco said he feels safe but doesn’t often venture out after dark on weekends.

“I don’t personally feel endangered most of the time, but I am aware of things like shootings,” Glasco said. “I think this is something you’ll see almost anywhere you get this many people together, especially drinking. More people equals more violence.”

He said increasing policing or security in the area might work, but an increased police presence could also make people even more uneasy. Glasco worries that if inundating the area with police officers and security guards creates more tension, it could lead to more people, especially those who have been drinking, making bad decisions.

When it comes to preventing future shootings, Glasco said he’s not sure there’s much that police or the city can do anyway. He sees gun violence as a systemic issue that needs a systemic solution. He also said that people also need to leave guns at home when going to West 7th, especially if they’ll be drinking.

Some people who regularly go to the area, like 18-year-old Jimena Garcia, do want more police, though.

Garcia works at Lucky Duck Bagels, where she said the store’s owner has decided to take security a step further than most. While the shop is open from 7 a.m. Saturday to 3 a.m. Sunday and closes at 9 p.m. every other night, employees lock the front door at sundown. They sit at the counter and keep an eye on the door, unlocking and opening it for customers.

Garcia said she’s not heard of anybody trying to shop at the store and being turned away after dark, but it does make her feel more comfortable knowing that if there was somebody with a weapon or behaving erratically they wouldn’t be able to just open the door and walk in.

But not everybody feels unsafe. Several people told the Star-Telegram there’s no real reason to be concerned as long as people are smart and avoid situations like fights.

Gideon Green works at Vagabond, a vintage store shop next to Avoca, and lives in the neighborhood. He feels like the area is just as safe as any other.

“There’s violence everywhere, no more here than in the suburbs,” Green, 22, said. “And when you’re here, there’s a ton of police everywhere to deter any ideas of craziness.”

Green said that increasing the number of police in the area might help further prevent future violence, but isn’t certain it is necessary.