FORT WORTH, Texas — Note: The video at the top of this page initially aired on WFAA on April 11, 2018.
"One Community, One Love!" was the theme for the 2023 Comofest held in Fort Worth's Como neighborhood -- an event that preceded a deadly shooting on Monday night, with at least three killed and eight injured.
Photos posted online from the first two years reflect the purpose of the local festival: celebrating the historically Black community and connecting the neighborhood to its historical roots.
But what is the history of this Fort Worth neighborhood?
History of Como neighborhood of Fort Worth
According to the City of Fort Worth's own website, the origins of Como date back to the late 1800s, when a group of investors purchased 2,000 acres of land then known as "Chamberlin Arlington Heights" west of the Clear Fork of the Trinity River.
Investors wanted to turn the land to a "grand development," and within the first couple of years of working the land, their efforts had spawned 20 homes, a resort hotel, a powerhouse and more.
The development also led to the creation of a water feature called Lake Como in the subdivision's southwest corner. This lake was named for the famous Italian tourist destination of the same name.
The initial developers' construction was eventually paused due to the Panic of 1893, which the Federal Reserve called "one of the most severe financial crises" in U.S. history. The Chamberlin Arlington Heights area then rebounded during World War I with the establishment of Camp Bowie.
In 1922, the area was annexed by the City of Fort Worth. In the following years, a mostly Black community would develop around the lake and begin referring to their own community as Como.
In 1952, newspaper publisher Amon G. Carter donated 86.5 acres around Lake Como for a park -- a gift meant to establish the first park in the city catering the largely Black community that had developed in this area on the city's west side.
In recent years, residents within the neighborhood of Como -- having fully taken on the name of the lake and its surrounding park -- have fought to establish an identity for the neighborhood that honors its past in the Black community, while also setting the area up for success along the lines of the more prosperous communities surrounding it.
What is Comofest?
A community block party to celebrate the Como neighborhood and kick off July 4th activities has taken place in Como since 2021.
The event is put on the Legacy Lake Como organization with the goal of connecting the community. According to Legacy Lake Como's own literature, Comofest is an organized day full of family-friendly activities meant to celebrate the pride of the neighborhood while bridging the generational gap that is said to exist between the young and old who reside here.
The community has pushed back against violence that has taken place in the neighborhood after past events, including Monday night's incident where three people were shot and killed and eight injured.
In 2021, eight people were shot in an argument near a car wash in the neighborhood after the first-ever Comofest. No one died in that incident.
"This is an extremely tragic event on what is supposed to be a festive occasion on Independence Day," Chief Neil Noakes said at the scene of that incident in 2021.
"Over 1,000 people came through Comofest -- and not one incident," said Legacy Lake Como member William Young in 2021. "And so to hear hours later, while we were cleaning up, that this situation took place in front of that car wash was so disappointing."
Monday's shooting was reported at 11:40 p.m. at the intersection of Diaz Avenue and Horne Street. Fort Worth police said that multiple shooting victims were found in a parking lot when officers arrived. Ten of the victims were adults and one was a juvenile, police said.
"I think, first, you’re heartbroken, especially for this community that has worked hard and continues to work hard," Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker said of Monday night's shooting while participating in a Fourth of July parade in the Como neighborhood on Tuesday morning. "... This community has worked so hard not just to put on wonderful festivities to celebrate Independence Day, but this is about their community.”
A motive for Monday's shooting has not been released. The incident remains under investigation.