Matthew Purdy: Gunman who randomly killed former college footballer Wes Smith says he would have shot others too
FORT WORTH, TEXAS: Matthew Purdy, 21, who randomly gunned down a college student named Wes Smith outside a bar in Texas, has allegedly told police he would have killed others too if he hadn’t run out of bullets.
Smith, a junior at Texas Christian University, was standing on the sidewalk near the bar 'Your Mom’s House' in Fort Worth’s West 7th District shortly after 1 am on Friday, September 1, when Purdy approached him, according to an arrest warrant affidavit obtained by the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
What does the arrest report say?
Purdy, 21, briefly chatted with Smith, also 21, before shooting the former football player, police said. Purdy then fled the scene.
Smith was taken to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead at around 1.45 am, police said.
“I shot him because I wanted to make sure he was dead,” Purdy told police, according to the affidavit.
Purdy admitted to shooting Smith three times. It was in the stomach, the shoulder, and, once he was on the ground, in the back of the head.
Smith, originally from Germantown, Tennessee, was a finance major and a member of the Kappa Sigma fraternity at TCU, according to his LinkedIn profile.
Smith was the captain of his football and basketball teams
Smith was named the Tennessee DII-AA West Defensive Player of the Year for football, the Star-Telegram reported.
The late student’s family told the outlet that he was “an amazing and loving son, brother, cousin and friend.”
“We are heartbroken by his passing and ask for the space to grieve during this terribly difficult time,” Smith's family said in a statement.
During his freshman year, Smith was a free safety for the university’s Horned Frogs football team.
While attending St George’s Independent School in Memphis for high school, Smith was captain of his football and basketball teams.
Why did Matthew Purdy kill Wes Smith?
Purdy said he didn’t have a “clear reason” for killing Smith and only opened fire after asking the victim whether he knew his father who had been assaulted in the area, according to the affidavit.
Purdy also told police he would’ve shot a bystander if he hadn’t already run out of ammunition.
Purdy, who did not know Smith, was arrested a short time later and charged with his murder.
He had been on probation in an aggravated robbery case in Tarrant County. He was transferred to Tarrant County Jail and his bond was set at $500,000.
The accused shooter, believed to have hidden the gun in his crotch, had taken apart the pistol and chucked pieces of the weapon out of the vehicle when the officer opened the door to check on him as per the arrest report as mentioned by the New York Post.
Purdy had pleaded guilty to robbery in 2021
Purdy admitted to injuring someone during a robbery in July 2021 and got eight years of deferred adjudication with community supervision for eight years probation in September 2022.
But he was arrested for murder on Friday, September 1, and now the prosecutors filed a petition to have him convicted and sentenced to prison on the robbery charge, as per Star Telegram.
He had slo tested positive for marijuana during his community supervision after his arrest in the robbery case.
Purdy’s current address is listed as the Presbyterian Night Shelter which reportedly suggests he is homeless.