The city of Fort Worth is remembering the seven lives lost and seven others injured 27 years ago when a gunman walked into a youth gathering at Wedgwood Baptist Church and opened fire.
Al Meredith, pastor emeritus at the church, told NBC 5 on the 25th anniversary of the shooting that the gunman got out of his car with a cigarette and shot the first person to welcome him to the church, custodian Jeff Laster.
The gunman would go on to shoot 13 others before killing himself.
Fort Worth shared a post on social media recognizing the anniversary and “the strength and resilience of the Fort Worth community.”
“Today, we remember those whose lives were forever changed that night. We remember the victims, their families, the survivors, the first responders, and the entire Wedgwood Baptist Church community,” the city said. “While the years have passed, we know that time does not erase the memories or the impact of such a tragedy.”
In 2024, Meredith urged those remembering the shooting to “remember the miracles.” That’s why, to this day, the church keeps a bullet hole exposed in one of its doors.
“We’ve still got the bullet hole there just to remind us of what God spared us,” Meredith said.