Police say the shot came from outside and are asking neighbors to review doorbell video.
FORT WORTH, Texas — A 66-year-old woman died after a stray bullet pierced the front of her South Fort Worth home Friday night and struck her inside, police said. Officers believe the gunfire was fired from the street about an hour before the medical call.
Investigators are treating the case as a homicide while they work to identify who fired the shot and why. Paramedics were first dispatched just before 9 p.m. to the 3400 block of Tahiti Lane for a report of a woman who had fallen. At the hospital, doctors found a gunshot wound and notified detectives. Police later said the house was not targeted and that the bullet appears linked to earlier reports of shots fired nearby. No arrests had been announced as of Sunday, and detectives asked residents to check cameras and send any video that shows vehicles or people moving through the block.
Officers canvassed the neighborhood late Friday and into Saturday, marking trajectories and collecting fragments after the front door and entryway were examined for bullet damage. Patrol units had responded to a “shots fired” call roughly an hour before the medical call, according to police. “We need to know who did this and why,” Officer Calzada said, urging anyone living along Tahiti Lane and the adjacent cross streets to review recordings from 8 to 9 p.m. Investigators are mapping possible firing points on the street and comparing timestamps from home surveillance systems to calls logged by 911.
Detectives said the victim was inside when the round traveled through the front of the house and struck her. They did not release her name pending family notification. The Fort Worth Fire Department’s dispatch time was recorded at about 8:51 p.m., and the woman was pronounced dead at a hospital later that night. Evidence technicians photographed the door frame and collected what appeared to be wood and metal fragments; police did not say whether a full bullet was recovered. The motive is unknown, and officers said there was no immediate indication that the shooter knew the victim or intended to hit the home.
Stray-bullet investigations in Tarrant County have drawn added scrutiny in recent years after several high-profile cases where rounds entered homes or yards. In neighboring communities, police have previously asked residents to share video when shots were heard but no suspect was seen. Detectives in Friday’s case are using the same approach: walking the block, pulling call logs, and seeking camera views from porches, driveways, and intersections to stitch together a route for any vehicle or person that might have fired from the street. The neighborhood sits just south of arterial roads that can carry cars quickly out of the area, complicating the search.
Homicide detectives are working with the crime lab to determine caliber and direction. If a slug is recovered, it will be tested for rifling marks and entered into ballistic databases to check for any matches to other shootings in the city. Police said updates would come as soon as a suspect description or vehicle information is confirmed. No charges had been filed as of Sunday, and authorities did not announce a timeline for releasing the woman’s identity. The Tarrant County Medical Examiner is expected to make that public after notification and an autopsy report.
Neighbors left flowers near the front steps Saturday and described the victim as a quiet presence who waved to passersby. “She kept to herself and always said hello,” said Maria Alvarez, who lives a few doors down and walked by the home in the morning. Another neighbor, Anthony Reed, said he reviewed his doorbell camera overnight to look for cars. “You can hear pops around 8:40. It’s faint, but it’s there,” Reed said. Residents said they hoped more cameras on the street would help police trace whichever direction the shooter left.
As of Sunday evening, police had not released a suspect description. Detectives planned to return to the block Monday to re-interview residents and pull additional video with clearer angles. The next official update is expected after the medical examiner confirms the woman’s identity and manner of death.
Author note: Last updated February 2, 2026.