FORT WORTH, Texas — New details in an arrest warrant obtained by WFAA reveal how a warehouse shooting unfolded.
According to Fort Worth police, 36-year-old Lee Douglas, a Fort Worth dad of five, died Tuesday from complications after he was shot while walking to his car at 2:30 a.m. May 30 at the Refresco Beverages warehouse at 15200 Trinity Blvd.
The suspect, 18-year-old Decan Medeiros, is charged with murder and is in jail with a $500,000 bond.
Douglas’ family told WFAA the electrician at Refresco Beverages was on a break during his overnight shift when the shooting occurred.
According to Fort Worth police, Medeiros arrived to DFW Airport at 6 p.m. the evening before the shooting took place. Medeiros’ family members told WFAA he was only in DFW for a layover and doesn’t have any North Texas ties.
According to an arrest warrant, Medeiros is accused of shooting Douglas in the back and face before deliberately pointing his firearm at two additional victims and firing twice. According to the warrant, the suspect then fled across the street to the ONCOR/WESCO Distribution warehouse and fired additional rounds at a forklift driver inside of the ONCOR warehouse.
That forklift driver was 36-year-old Julio Morales Ramirez.
In an interview with WFAA, Ramirez said the suspect walked into the warehouse wearing a backpack and approached Ramirez within 10 feet.
Ramirez, who was on his forklift at the time, asked the suspect what he needed. He tried to call a supervisor through his radio and said the suspect then raised a gun and fired at him three times.
Ramirez told WFAA he had never seen the suspect in his life.
“Somehow, he didn’t hit me,” Ramirez said in Spanish. “It’s a miracle.”
Ramirez, a husband and father of two, said his immediate instinct was to jump from his forklift and fall to the ground, an unplanned reaction he believes may have saved his life. Ramirez said the suspect walked away.
The arrest warrant said a security guard at ONCOR head four gunshots from across the street and as he went to investigate, he saw Medeiros. The security guard asked Medeiros what he was doing and Medeiros replied, “shooting squirrels,” the warrant said. He removed his firearm and ordered Medeiros to put his hands up. Decan replied “No” and ran away,” according to the warrant.
Ramirez, who has returned to his forklift job, said he’s still shaken by the shooting and is suffering from insomnia. He is saddened to hear that another father lost his life during the shootings.
“This person who didn’t know me tried to kill me,” Ramirez said. “What happened to me was serious and very difficult. Although I’m in fear, I want people to look deep within their hearts before harming others.”
Fort Worth recovered Medeiros’ abandoned duffel bag, but didn't recover a weapon, documents show.
Decan was found by police in Irving, east of where the shootings took place.
According to an arrest warrant, Irving police found ammo in the suspect’s backpack. The type of ammo matched the ammo used in the shooting, police documents say. Medeiros told Irving police about “shooting someone earlier” and pointed in the west direction, documents say.
Medeiros was taken to Fort Worth police for questioning and is being held at the Lon Evans Corrections Center in Tarrant County. Along with the murder charge, he faces several other aggravated assault with a deadly weapon charges.
Police said Medeiros and his family have never worked at any of the warehouses involved in the shooting and believe he acted alone. Police said they have no evidence that the shooting was planned.
The investigation is ongoing.