The Brief
Dadrian Freeman, 21, was arrested and charged with murder for the Sunday morning shooting death of a security guard outside a Fort Worth nightclub.
Friends and family identified the victim as Dominique Coleman. He was killed while confronting someone in a nearby parking lot; a second woman was injured but is expected to survive.
Police have not yet how the suspect was identified, nor is it clear if there is a family connection to a second man arrested during the investigation.
FORT WORTH, Texas – Fort Worth police have made three arrests connected to the death of a nightclub security guard.
What’s new
21-year-old Dadrian Freeman was arrested and charged with murder and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
His father, 46-year-old Dedrian Freeman Sr., was arrested as police were executing a search warrant. He’s charged with the possession of a firearm as a felony.
The suspect’s older brother, 22-year-old Dedrian Freeman Jr., was also taken into custody for an unrelated probation violation.
The backstory
The shooting happened early Sunday morning near Club New Start on Miller Avenue in southeast Fort Worth.
Investigators believe one of the club’s security guards went across the street to the parking lot of H&J Hamburgers to confront someone. That person opened fire, killing the guard and injuring another woman.
Friends and family members identified the deceased guard as Dominque Coleman.
Dominique Coleman, victim
The injured woman was taken to the hospital and is expected to survive.
Dig deeper
According to an arrest warrant affidavit, the female victim was able to give investigators more information about the events leading up to the shooting.
She said Coleman went across the street to confront three customers of the nightclub. She was trying to pull Coleman away from the argument when he was shot in the back of the head. She was then shot in the shoulder and pistol whipped, the police document states.
Police used vehicle information and law enforcement databases to identify the three customers that Coleman argued with as Dedrian Freeman Sr., Dedrian Freeman Jr. and Dadrian Freeman.
The affidavit states Dedrian Freeman Sr. was the person who pulled out the handgun, but Dadrian Freeman was the one who fired the shots and pistol whipped the female victim.
Local perspective
Community members and activists gathered on Sunday evening to demand the closure of Club New Start.
Organizers said the gathering was intended to support Coleman’s family and pressure city officials to take immediate action against the nightclub. Protesters cited a history of safety concerns and allegations that management failed to cooperate with investigators.
FOX 4’s Dionne Anglin spoke to Cliff Sparks of the DFW Ryderz Car Club, who says that too many senseless shootings have happened at the nightclub.
Cliff Sparks, DFW Ryderz Car Club
“It is hard-breaking to see what his mother is going to have to see her son laying on the ground on Mother’s Day. That’s really sad to see right here in our own community,” Sparks said.
“It hurts inside. It makes me angry, and we have to stand up and understand and know when enough is enough. This bar behind us, I can count more than five people on my hand that have been murdered in this bar. Something has to be done.”
The Source
The information in this story is from the Fort Worth Police Department and community activists.