Leaders in Fort Worth and Forest Hill say both cities share the pain of a double murder that killed a young father and his daughter Monday morning 鈥� and it will take a collaborative effort to combat the rising murder rate in the small southeast Fort Worth suburb.
30-year-old local rapper Ronnie Sibley, who performed under the stage name , and his 5-year-old daughter were in Forest Hill March 3. They are the fourth and fifth to have died by gun violence in Forest Hill this year, after the city recorded zero murders in 2024, according to Mayor Stephanie Boardingham.
Boardingham and Forest Hill City Council member Keith R. Smith; Fort Worth City Council member Chris Nettles; Melinda Hamilton, founder of the nonprofit Mothers of Murdered Angels; Rodney McIntosh, program director for the nonprofit Violence Intervention and Prevention of Fort Worth; and Rev. Dr. Michael Bell of the Unity In The Community Coalition of Tarrant County hosted a press conference Tuesday afternoon to express their concerns about the rising murder rate in Forest Hill and demand justice for the victims and their family.
鈥淲e call for an immediate cessation of the senseless killings that plague our streets. We must work together to break the cycle of self-hatred that continues to decimate lives and scar our community,鈥� Bell said. 鈥淰iolence has no place in our community, which is already buckling under the weight of inequity and injustice, and we stand together to ensure that no more innocent lives, especially those of our children, are lost in such a hideous act.鈥�
He said he hopes the tragedy can serve as a wake-up call to address gun violence, particularly against Black families.
The victims鈥� family members were not in attendance, but McIntosh shared information and comments from the daughter鈥檚 mother. On her behalf, he said Sibley lost his brother in 2013 and mother in 2023, both to gun violence.
McIntosh added that Sibley is survived by a 12-year-old daughter, who must now cope with the loss of her father, sister, uncle and grandmother to gun violence. That depth of loss is far too common in Black communities, he said.
鈥淲e have trauma on top of trauma,鈥� McIntosh said. 鈥淲e always talk about healing and making a change and wanting to see change when moments like these happen. Let鈥檚 stop the knee-jerk reaction, and let鈥檚 make sure we鈥檙e working continually to make sure that a family don鈥檛 have to deal with this type of tragedy.鈥�
Community members and organizational leaders must use tragedies like this to spark change rather than capitalize on the spotlight, McIntosh said.
Mothers of Murdered Angels has offered resources and support to the victims鈥� family. Boardingham encourages any other organizations or community leaders who can share support to step up and do so.
Boardingham declined to comment on what steps or actions will be taken to address the increasing cases of gun violence, noting that that will be up to Forest Hill鈥檚 police chief, who was not in attendance at the press conference.
Nettles, who represents southeast Fort Worth and is campaigning for reelection in May, said the group is asking for support from Tarrant County Judge Tim O鈥橦are and the Tarrant County Sheriff鈥檚 Office, as well as other Forest Hill and Fort Worth leaders to come together to address the violence and identify solutions.
The group said Tarrant County commissioners Roderick Miles and Alisa Simmons, as well as state Rep. Nicole Collier, D-Fort Worth, have reached out to offer support.
鈥淭his is not just a Forest Hill issue,鈥� Nettles said. 鈥淭his is a county, Fort Worth and all surrounding cities issue.鈥�
Cecilia Lenzen is a government accountability reporter for the Fort Worth Report. Contact her at cecilia.lenzen@fortworthreport.org or .
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