Wes Smith Death: How Did a TCU Student Die at a Young Age?

By James Mercado On Sep 2, 2023

What happened to a bright young TCU student like Wes Smith that was so sad? People are looking for answers in a community that has been shaken by loss. How could the life of someone with so much promise end so suddenly? Learn about the strange things that led up to Wes Smith’s unexpected death.

Wes Smith Death: How Did He Die?

In Fort Worth’s Entertainment District, a junior at TCU was hurt in what seemed to be a random and shocking act of violence. The suspect told the police that he sh0t Wes Smith three times and that he would have shot more people if he had more bullets.

It happened early Friday morning(1 September 2023) in Fort Worth near the busy West 7th Street. Around 1 a.m., Smith, a junior at the school, was sh0t and died. Matthew Purdy, who is 21 years old, was arrested by Fort Worth police on Friday and charged with the mu*der.

Scoop Jefferson tweeted that TCU student Wes Smith, shown with his parents, was tragically killed in Fort Worth’s 7th St Party District last night:

TCU Junior Wes Smith, seen here with his parents, was shot dead overnight in Fort Worth’s 7th St Party District. Police arrested one person. Smith’s fraternity brothers from Kappa Sigma are among those grieving his death. @TCU @KappaSigmaHQ @wfaa @fortworthpd @TCUFootball pic.twitter.com/ffVdtItWkt

— Scoop Jefferson (@scoopjefferson) September 1, 2023

Fort Worth police say that Purdy walked up to Smith on Bledsoe Street, said a few words, and then shot him three times, once in the gut and twice in the shoulder. When Smith was on the ground, Purdy allegedly shot him in the back of the head. He told police that he shot Smith three times to “make sure he was dead.”

Police say that Purdy ran away and attacked a woman as he was trying to get away. He later said that he would have shot that person too if he still had bullets. Once Purdy was in police custody, they searched him but didn’t find the g*n that was still in his pants. He was caught with the gun in his hands in the back of the police car. The police say he tried to throw it out the window of the police car.

Purdy has been accused of k!lling someone. Smith went to TCU and majored in business. He was a member of the Kappa Sigma fraternity. He also joined the Horned Frogs football team as a walk-on in his first year, but he hasn’t been on the team since.

Timothy Gibson is the head of Memphis, Tennessee’s St. George’s Independent School. In 2021, Smith got his diploma from the school.

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Friday, Smith’s family said in a statement:

Wes was truly an amazing and loving son, brother, cousin, and friend to so many. We are heartbroken by his passing and ask for the space to grieve during this terribly difficult time.

Gibson said that St. George’s will do something in the coming weeks to remember Smith. Purdy was on probation for aggravated robbery at the time of the killing. He is being kept in the Tarrant County jail because he can’t pay a $500,000 fee. TCU says that there are counselors on the second floor of Jarvis Hall who can help.