Fort Worth is marking the 27th anniversary of a mass shooting at Wedgwood Baptist Church that resulted in seven deaths and seven injuries. The incident occurred during a youth gathering when a gunman entered the facility and opened fire.
Al Meredith, the church's pastor emeritus, recalled details from the 25th anniversary of the event. He stated that the shooter exited his vehicle holding a cigarette and immediately fired at the first individual who greeted him, identified as custodian Jeff Laster. According to Meredith, the gunman proceeded to shoot 13 additional people before taking his own life.
The city of Fort Worth acknowledged the anniversary through a social media post, citing the resilience of the local community. The official statement noted that the city is remembering the victims, their families, survivors, first responders, and the broader church community. The post emphasized that the passage of time does not remove the memories or the impact of the tragedy.
Meredith has previously encouraged those observing the anniversary to focus on what he described as miracles. To this day, the church maintains an exposed bullet hole in one of its doors as a physical reminder. Meredith explained that the hole serves to remind the congregation of what he believes God spared them from.
