A Tarrant County jury has handed a Fort Worth man an 80-year prison sentence after a shooting inside a church that was serving meals to people experiencing homelessness, a case prosecutors say left one man paralyzed and laid out a long trail of past violence.
Paul Davis, 59, was convicted of unlawfully carrying a weapon as a felon, then hit with the decades-long sentence after jurors heard about his criminal history and what happened inside the church that day.
Details From Prosecutors
According to the Tarrant County District Attorney, Davis was convicted of unlawful carrying of a weapon by a felon after bringing a gun into a church where meals were being served to people experiencing homelessness. Prosecutors said an encounter there turned violent and ended in gunfire that left the victim paralyzed.
Thanks to the Fort Worth Police Department for their work on this case and their commitment to keeping our community safe. pic.twitter.com/TsiotpSUY5
— Tarrant County DA (@TarrantCountyDA) June 26, 2026
The district attorney’s office said jurors also heard about several prior violent incidents tied to Davis, including another shooting, and that he was described to the jury as a habitual offender. The office publicly thanked the Fort Worth Police Department for its investigative work on the case.
What Jurors Heard
During trial, prosecutors told jurors that Davis had carried a firearm into the church and that an altercation inside the building escalated into a shooting, leaving the victim permanently paralyzed. To underscore Davis’s history with violence, they introduced evidence of earlier incidents that they said involved him, including a separate shooting…