An argument over french fries exploded into gunfire in Fort Worth when an 18-year-old allegedly shot his 19-year-old friend after he refused to share.
Fort Worth police arrested Lemarques Darden on Monday in connection with the Jan. 28 killing at an apartment complex on Jeremiah Drive.
Officers say a simple dispute over food spiraled into violence within minutes of the group returning from Wingstop.
Witnesses told investigators the friends had just arrived back with takeout when tensions rose over an order of fries.
Police allege Darden pulled out a handgun and fired at the victim, identified as Davis, striking him in the head.
Emergency crews rushed Davis to a local hospital for treatment. He died several hours later from his injuries.
Investigators noted that multiple people, including children, saw the shooting unfold. Those eyewitness accounts helped authorities track Darden, who police believe fled to Tyler because he may have relatives there.
Darden now sits in the Tarrant County Corrections Center as the case moves forward, according to jail records cited by the Star-Telegram.
The victim’s mother, Sherika Kennedy, described her son’s death as “senseless” during an interview with local affiliate Fox 4 News.
“How it happened, I will never be OK with that. I’m never going to be OK with that,” Kennedy said. “I know my baby was probably genuinely his friend. My baby was not expecting him to shoot him. Everybody in the house thought he was joking about the fries.”
Kennedy painted a picture of a young man who had plans and promise ahead of him. “He was only 19, with his whole future ahead of him,” she wrote in a GoFundMe post.
“He was a loving son, a protective brother, and a fun-loving uncle to his three nieces. He brought laughter, energy, and love to those around him, and his absence has left a deep void in our hearts.”
Police have not released details about what sparked the argument beyond the refusal to share food. The case remains under investigation.
The shocking episode joins a string of recent teen violence cases that have stunned communities across the country.
In Florida, authorities arrested 17-year-old Bradey Ming after he allegedly set a friend on fire during a lakeside gathering at Kauffmans Island in Lake Kerr.
Investigators say the Jan. 11 incident began as the teens gathered near a bonfire. Before flames erupted, the suspect could be heard asking, “Do you want to be set on fire?”
An arrest affidavit alleges Ming poured gasoline from a canister and created a flammable trail between the bonfire and the victim. Video later surfaced showing the flames racing toward the teen.
The victim suffered second-degree burns to his right hand, leg and bottom, along with “deep full thickness” burns to his lower body.
He ran to the lake to extinguish the flames before friends transported him home by jet ski and eventually to a hospital.
He was later life-flighted to UF Health Shands Hospital in Gainesville and admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit.
At first, the victim told his mother he had been trying to toss a gasoline-filled water bottle into a fire when it exploded.
His father later discovered video evidence showing Ming igniting the flames and contacted law enforcement.
The victim later admitted he lied because Ming “did not want him to say anything about the incident.”
Ming turned himself in and now faces a felony aggravated battery charge. He is being held without bond at the Marion County Juvenile Justice Center.
In Ohio, another teen case drew attention after Cameron Martin, 19, was charged in the death of his pregnant girlfriend, Stephanie Householder, 21.
Authorities allege Martin struck Householder with his vehicle during an argument at Broadway Wharf in East Liverpool on July 19.
She was airlifted to a Pittsburgh hospital, where both she and her unborn child were declared dead.
A grand jury indicted Martin on two counts of involuntary manslaughter and two counts of aggravated vehicular homicide. Prosecutors argue his actions led to the “unlawful termination of Householder’s pregnancy.”
Police Chief John Lane addressed questions about intent during a press conference.
“He says he watched her in the mirror, but then when he goes to back out of there, I think he accidentally ran over her,” Lane said. “We’re trying to figure that out now, whether it was intentional or not.”
Martin was later taken into custody and remains held at the Columbiana County Detention Center on a $100,000 bond. He is scheduled for arraignment on Feb. 26.
In another high-profile case, two California teenagers were arrested in connection with an alleged $66 million cryptocurrency home invasion plot in Scottsdale, Arizona.
Authorities allege the suspects posed as delivery drivers to gain entry, forced their way inside and duct-taped two homeowners. An adult son inside the home called police from another room, prompting the teens to flee.
Court documents indicate the pair carried a 3D-printed gun without ammunition. Investigators say the teens claimed they were extorted by individuals identified as “Red” and “8” and received $1,000 to buy disguises and supplies.
Both face felony charges including burglary, aggravated assault and kidnapping.
