Terrifying footage shows crowds running for their lives while gunman opens fire at Texas festival

Petrified revelers can be seen running for the lives in harrowing footage of the moment a gunman opened fire during Independence Day celebrations in Texas.

The gunman killed three and injured eight at the July Fourth festival in Fort Worth’s Como neighborhood at about 11:40pm Monday.  

Police are yet to determine a motive for the shooting and have not made any arrests, but said one person injured in the shooting is a suspect.

The deadly shooting was captured on surveillance footage which showed swathes of people trying to hide from the spray of bullets and adults trying to shield children.

One harrowing clip features a woman – credited as Faith Woods – running from the scene and repeatedly screaming ‘Oh my god! We’re going to die.’

Shocking video shows crowds at a Texas festival running for their lives as a gunman killed three people and injured eight more – including a juvenile – in aparking lot on Monday night

Cynthia Santos, 22, has been identified as one of the victims of the deadly shooting as well as Paul Willis, 18, who his mother said had dreams of becoming an electrician

The three victims who died have been identified as 22-year-old Cynthia Santos, 18-year-old Paul Willis and 18-year-old Gabriella Navarrete. 

Willis’ mother, Ka’Desha Weatherly, told WFAA that she ran so fast that she completely missed seeing her son. 

‘So I walked past my son. Girls were holding him crying. I didn’t even know my baby was on the ground,’ she said.

Weatherly said her son had his life together and was working toward becoming an electrician.

‘He got his own apartment. He was doing the things a young man should be doing,’ she said. ‘I wouldn’t wish this on my worst enemy.’ 

Santos’ cousin, Tania Torres, spoke about how reliable her now deceased family member was. 

‘She was a hard worker. She was always supporting me and my crazy ideas. I loved her like a sister,’ shesaid. 

First responders struggled to treat victims as revelers flooded out of the area following the neighborhood’s annual ComoFest.

Cops on the scene after the shooting in Fort Worth’s Como neighborhood at around 11.40pm on the eve of Fourth of July at Diaz Avenue and Horne Street

Police cordon off the area after the shooting. First responders struggled to treat victims as revelers flooded out of the area following the neighborhood’s annual ComoFest held on the eve of the Fourth of July

‘A lot of vehicle traffic, a lot of foot traffic,’ said Captain Shawn Murray with the Fort Worth Police Department.

 ‘Fireworks were being shot off, lots of people just trying to flee the area from the multiple gun shots, so it was difficult for them to navigate quickly into the area.’ 

Some of the victims were rushed to hospital in private cars while others were taken in ambulances. One victim was pronounced dead at the scene.

Officers cordoned off two blocks of Horne Street as crime scene investigators went to work.

‘We don’t know if this is domestic-related, if it is gang-related. It is too early to tell at this point. We just know somebody shot and multiple times and a bunch of people were injured. Hopefully it is just a single shooter and wasn’t a crossfire situation. Homicide will figure that out,’ said Captain Murray.

Fort Worth Police said that investigators believe someone opened fire into the crowd, hitting at least 11 people and sending terrified festival goers running for their lives. 

The violent incident comes after a shooting shortly after ComoFest in 2021 that left eight people wounded. Nobody was killed.

Cops guard the scene following the deadly chaos that erupted after ComoFest. It comes after a shooting shortly after ComoFest in 2021 that left eight people wounded. Nobody was killed

Cops work at the scene following the carnage in Fort Worth on Monday night

Later in the day, President Joe Biden released a statement on gun violence following the Fort Worth shooting, as well as ones in Philadelphia and Baltimore.

More action, he said, is needed to ‘address the epidemic of gun violence that is tearing our communities apart.’

He called on Congress and Capitol Hill Republicans to negotiate with Democrats on gun reform proposals.

‘It is within our power to once again ban assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, to require safe storage of guns, to end gun manufacturers’ immunity from liability, and to enact universal background checks.’

As defined by the Gun Violence Archive, there have been more than 340 mass shootings so far in 2023.