Police say the two young men were friends and neighbors in the same complex.
FORT WORTH, TX — An 18-year-old has been charged with murder in the death of a 19-year-old friend who was shot in the head after an argument that began over French fries, Fort Worth police said. The suspect was arrested nearly two weeks later in East Texas, authorities said.
The case has drawn attention because of how quickly a small disagreement turned deadly, investigators and family members said. Police say the shooting happened inside an apartment in west Fort Worth after a group returned from picking up food. The victim died at a hospital the next day, and the suspect left the area before being located and taken into custody. The suspect is being held in the Tarrant County Jail, police said, and a public statement from his attorney was not immediately available.
Officers were called to an apartment complex in the 9500 block of Jeremiah Drive around 6:30 p.m. on Wed., Jan. 28, after a report of a shooting, police said. Investigators say the group had just returned from Wingstop when an argument broke out. Witnesses later told detectives the dispute started when the victim would not share his French fries. Police said the suspect pulled out a handgun and fired, striking the victim in the head. People inside the apartment heard the shot and saw the victim slumped on a couch, according to an arrest warrant affidavit. Sherika Kennedy, the victim’s mother, said her son’s girlfriend was lying on his lap at the time and heard breaking glass and a gunshot. “It’s so senseless,” Kennedy said.
Police identified the victim as Jarvis Davis, 19. The Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s Office ruled the cause of death a gunshot wound to the head, according to authorities who referenced the office’s findings. Davis was taken from the apartment to a hospital, where he died hours later, police said. Investigators said the suspect, Lemarques Darden Jr., 18, fled the scene. Witness interviews helped police identify Darden as a suspect, and authorities said he lived in the same apartment complex as Davis. Detectives searched the area in the hours after the shooting, but did not locate him, police said. Fort Worth police later announced Darden was found in Tyler, roughly 100 miles east of Dallas, and arrested nearly two weeks after the shooting. Police said they believed he went there because he may have family in the area.
The case highlights the steady work of local detectives and the deep frustration families feel when everyday moments turn into tragedy. Fort Worth police said the shooting appeared to be an isolated incident and that there was no ongoing threat to the public. Still, investigators described the scene as crowded and chaotic, with multiple people present in the apartment when the argument escalated. Police said children were among the witnesses, a detail investigators said helped them piece together what happened and track down the suspect. It was not clear how many people were in the apartment at the time of the shooting, what led to the confrontation beyond the fries dispute, or whether anyone tried to intervene before the gun was fired. Police have not publicly detailed where in the apartment the handgun was retrieved from or whether it was legally owned.
Darden has been charged with murder, according to police and jail records referenced by local reports. A murder charge in Texas can carry severe penalties if a person is convicted, but prosecutors still must prove the allegation beyond a reasonable doubt. Court records available immediately after an arrest often include limited information, and police sometimes release more details as a case moves through hearings. Authorities have not publicly said whether Darden has entered a plea. Police said he is being held in the Tarrant County Jail, and a public comment from his attorney was not available when reporters reached out. It was also not immediately clear when Darden’s next court appearance would take place or whether bond would be set at a later hearing.
For Davis’ family, the legal steps are only part of what comes next. Kennedy said the fact that the two young men knew each other makes the loss harder to accept. She described the shooting as something the family cannot make sense of, saying those inside the apartment did not believe the argument was serious until the gun went off. “How it happened, I will never be OK with that. I’m never going to be OK with that,” Kennedy said. She said her son was not expecting to be shot and believed he and Darden were genuinely friends. Investigators have not said what, if anything, Darden told others before the gunfire, and they have not released details about whether he spoke to police after his arrest.
The investigation is being handled by detectives who focus on gun violence cases, police said. In the days after the shooting, investigators interviewed witnesses, reviewed available evidence, and worked to locate the suspect after he left the apartment complex, authorities said. Police have not released information about surveillance video, shell casings, fingerprints, or other forensic evidence, and they have not said whether the handgun was recovered. Authorities also have not publicly said whether the shooting happened during a larger gathering, a casual visit between neighbors, or a planned get-together after the food run. Those details can become clearer later through court filings, testimony, and evidence presented in hearings.
As the case proceeds, prosecutors are expected to review the arrest warrant affidavit and other evidence, decide what additional charges, if any, may be appropriate, and present the case to a grand jury if required by procedure. If the case moves forward, the next milestones typically include an initial appearance, bond decisions, and later hearings that outline what evidence both sides plan to use. Investigators may also continue interviewing witnesses who were present, including those who left before officers arrived or who may be reluctant to speak. Police and court officials did not immediately release a schedule for hearings, and it was not clear when a probable cause review or formal arraignment would be held.
For neighbors and relatives, the setting is hard to shake: a familiar apartment complex, a shared meal, and a sudden gunshot that changed multiple lives. People who knew Davis described him as someone connected to others in the complex, with friends and family moving through the same small circle of apartments and parking lots. The shooting unfolded quickly, witnesses told investigators, leaving little time for anyone to realize what was happening. Police said people inside the apartment saw Darden run out with a handgun after the shot. Family members said the moment is now fixed in their memories, not as a disagreement about food, but as the point where a relationship ended in violence.
The case remained in its early stages Thursday, with Darden held in jail and the investigation continuing as police and prosecutors prepare for court proceedings. Authorities have not released a date for the next public update, but the next milestone is expected to come through court records tied to Darden’s first hearings in Tarrant County.
Author note: Last updated February 12, 2026.