Texas Man Sentenced to 60 Years for Random Shooting of College Student

A man in Texas was handed a 60-year prison sentence after pleading guilty to randomly shooting a college student outside a Fort Worth bar, resulting in the student’s death. The victim, Wes Smith, a 21-year-old junior who was a walk-on athlete at his university, was shot three times during the incident, once in the back of the head.

The shooting occurred shortly after 1 a.m. outside “Your Mom’s House” bar. Smith was just helping a friend into a car when Matthew Purdy approached him, asked if he knew his father, then pulled out a gun and fired. Smith was hit twice in the stomach and shoulder before collapsing. Purdy then fired a third shot into his back of the head to ensure he was dead. During the chaos, Purdy also assaulted an 18-year-old woman attempting to flee.

Purdy, 23, was arrested two blocks from the scene. He later told investigators he had attacked the woman physically and claimed he would have fired more shots had he not run out of ammunition.

He faced multiple charges, including murder, assault, robbery, and credit card abuse, to which he pleaded guilty. His sentence combines 60 years for the murder and 20 years for the assault, totaling 206 years in prison, to be served concurrently. He was also on probation for robbery at the time.

During the sentencing, Smith’s father described his son as a hero for sacrificing himself to prevent further harm. He criticized Purdy’s actions and called out the darkness of his soul. The mother of Wes Smith, Doree, spoke directly to Purdy, expressing sorrow for the loss and urging him to find forgiveness and love, emphasizing that Wes’s kindness could have changed the outcome if approached differently.

The court recognized Smith’s memory as a person who brought joy and positivity to others, and his family hopes his story inspires kindness and compassion over violence.