A woman was seriously injured in a shooting early Wednesday morning when five armed men stormed a Fort Worth game room and indiscriminantly opened fire, police said.[[474027543,R]]
The five armed men, most carrying handguns and one carrying a long rifle, walked into the gaming hall on the 3200 block of North Beach Street and immediately began shooting. At some point in the gunfire, an 18-year-old woman was shot in the leg and transported to a hospital in serious condition, police said.
Surveillance video from several cameras inside the business on the 3200 block of North Beach Street show five men approach the game room, enter and then show no hesitation before firing into the hall. Muzzle flashes can easily be seen in the video quickly followed by debris from walls and ceiling tiles filling the frame.
Hearing the gunfire, players took cover underneath gaming machines as the five men spread out throughout the gaming hall.
In the video four of the armed men can be seen continually tried to gain access to another part of the building by kicking or slamming into an object out of view.
Meanwhile, one of the other members of the group stole wallets and cash from the gamers, some of whom reported being kicked or pistol-whipped.
After about 10 minutes inside the building, the armed group ran from the hall before officers arrived. Police have not said what the men stole other than a few personal belongings from the players.
Fort Worth police are asking for the public's help in identifying the men, most of whom wore masks that partially covered their faces.Without clear photos, police said they are relying on people recognizing the distinctive outfits or guns used by some of the armed men.
One of the men in the video can be seen wearing a clown shirt and/or costume while carrying the long-barreled rifle. Clothing worn by the other men in the video were simple, solid-colored hoodies with the exception of one man who didn't bother to cover his face while wearing a red, white and black jacket.
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Detectives reported a large number of shell casings at the scene of the shooting. The investigation into the armed robbery is ongoing.
Editor's Note: Initial reports from a public information officer with the City of Fort Worth stated that the men fired "what appers to be AK-47 rifles," police have since changed their charaterization of the weapons and now refer to them as long rifles, this article has been changed to reflect that.
