FORT WORTH, Texas — A Fort Worth family wants answers after their loved one was killed in a shooting they believe was a random act of violence.
Eighteen-year-old Nevaeh Douglas wants to know why someone shot her dad, 36-year-old Lee Douglas.
Her father, an electrician at the Refrescos Beverages warehouse off of Trinity Blvd in Fort Worth was shot while on a break during his overnight shift.
According to Fort Worth police, on May 30, at around 2:30 a.m., Lee walked to his car in the warehouse parking lot when someone shot him. Records from the Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s Office show the father of five was shot on his back and face.
“My dad was a big family man,” Nevaeh said.
Nevaeh, Lee's oldest child, said her stepmother woke her up overnight to tell her that her father had been shot during his break at work.
“My heart dropped,” Nevaeh said. “I was just like, why? My dad doesn’t do anything to nobody.”
Police reports show there was one other victim and multiple witnesses. Lee was rushed to the hospital. His family believed he would survive, but on Tuesday, Lee died after complications during his recovery.
“It’s hard, cause I didn’t think four days after I graduated I would’ve lost my dad forever,” Nevaeh said.
On May 31, a day after the shooting, Fort Worth police arrested 18-year-old Decan Medeiros of Kettle Falls, Washington.
On June 13, Medeiros was charged with murder. He also faces several other aggravated assault charges, including three aggravated assault with a deadly weapon charges.
Police say Medeiros arrived at DFW airport at about 6 p.m. on May 29. He reportedly made entry into the warehouse through a door for a brief moment during the incident.
A police report said police arrested Mederios at 2400 Cypress St., which is the Presbyterian Night Shelter in Fort Worth. However, police told Medeiros was located in Irving, east of the shooting, during a welfare call and later transported to FWPD for questioning. The shelter’s leadership told WFAA it has no record of Medeiros ever staying at any of its Fort Worth Shelters.
“I don’t know what he had going on at home, but you didn’t have to take my dad away from me,” Nevaeh said.
One of Medeiros’ immediate family members told WFAA the 18-year-old has no ties to North Texas and was only in North Texas for a layover at DFW Airport on the night of May 29, which was hours before the shooting took place.
Medeiros’ family said he was flying back to Washington after a trip he took for work. The shooting took place less than four miles from the airport. Mederios’ family said they filed a missing persons report and just learned of his murder charge on Thursday. They described feeling both shocked and confused and said they want answers, too.
Police say they have no evidence the events were planned, and are not currently investigating any additional accomplices.
No weapon has been recovered in the investigation, police added.
A GoFundMe fundraiser has been set up to help Lee’s family cover his medical and funeral expenses.
“I really want justice for my dad,” Nevaeh said.