A woman was shot and killed early Friday at a Fort Worth motel after what police describe as a confrontation over a vehicle. Officers arrived to find her with a gunshot wound to the stomach, then rushed her to a nearby hospital, where she later died. The shooting happened at the Sun Valley Motel in the 1800 block of Jacksboro Highway and remains under active investigation, police said.
Fort Worth officers were called to the motel around 5:20 a.m. Homicide detectives later learned the woman had been helping a man try to get back a car he told her had been stolen overnight, according to CBS News Texas. She was taken to a local hospital with a gunshot wound to the abdomen and did not survive. Homicide investigators are now leading the case.
What Police Say About the Vehicle
Detectives were told the vehicle in question had not been reported stolen before the pair went to the motel, and that two people who had been in that car ran from the scene on foot immediately after the shooting, NBC DFW reports. Investigators are also looking into whether the same vehicle may have been involved in a drive-by shooting earlier that morning. As of now, no arrests have been announced.
Police Warn Residents Not to Confront Thieves
Fort Worth police are using the case as a grim reminder not to chase down stolen property on your own.
“Do not attempt to recover the vehicle itself,” Fort Worth police Officer Brad Perez told CBS News Texas, urging people instead to call police and, if they can do so safely, watch from a distance. Perez said officers will work theft cases when there is evidence to follow, but stressed that face-to-face run-ins with suspects can quickly turn dangerous.
Investigation and Next Steps
The Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s Office will formally identify the victim and determine the official cause and manner of death, according to WFAA. Fort Worth police say the shooting appears to be an isolated incident and that there is no ongoing threat to the public, as officers canvass the motel and review any available surveillance video, FOX 4 Dallas-Fort Worth reports. Detectives are asking anyone with information to come forward…