The Arlington Fire Department has identified a firefighter who was shot in the chest Friday morning as Brady Weaver, who is hospitalized in serious condition.
Arlington Fire Department
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
By James Hartley
An Arlington firefighter who was shot while working is doing well but still in significant pain, according to a news release from the Arlington firefighters’ union.
Brady Weaver was shot just before 1 a.m. Friday in the 400 block of Bardin Grene Drive, where he was sent to conduct a welfare check, the Arlington Fire Department said in a news release. A resident called 911 and reported hearing children crying for an extended period in a neighboring apartment. They were calling for their mother to wake up.
The fire department, along with police and paramedics, went to the apartment and knocked on the door, according to the fire department’s release. There was no answer but responders could hear children’s voices inside the apartment continuing to cry for their mother to wake up. After five minutes of police knocking on the door, the decision was made to enter the apartment for fear that someone might have been injured or in need of emergency medical attention.
The responders forced entry into the apartment after five more minutes of knocking and announcing their presence, with fire department personnel using a breach tool to pry open the door, the fire department said in the release. Police continued announcing their presence. After entering the apartment, someone fired a single shot. Weaver, who was at the door, was hit.
Weaver was able to evacuate himself from the apartment as responders fled, according to the fire department. He was taken to the hospital with serious injuries. No additional shots were fired and nobody else was injured, according to the fire department.
Police gave commands for everyone inside the apartment to exit and a man, woman and two children complied. Detectives detained and questioned the man, who the fire department said it believes to be the shooter.
The firefighter’s association said it is working to help support Weaver’s wife and two children at home as he is recovering.
Doctors are optimistic about that recovery, according to the Arlington Professional Firefighters Association. The association is asking for donations to its charity through Zelle, with the email address [email protected], through Venmo and Paypal or by mailing a check to APFF Charitable Fund at 208 S. Fielder Road, Arlington, TX, 76013.