Deavyn Lee Holt, a 20-year-old man, lost his life in a shooting at a shopping mall in south Fort Worth, Texas. The events that led to his death on the evening of Wednesday, October 14, 2026, unfolded in a matter of minutes, leaving many questions in their wake.
That evening, just before 8:40 p.m., Deavyn entered the La Gran Plaza at 4200 South Freeway. The mall was preparing to close for the night.
Wearing a black mask and carrying a hammer, he walked to the Electronic Plus jewelry kiosk. There, he used the hammer to smash a glass display case, grabbed a panel of gold necklaces, and immediately turned to flee toward an exit.
Sitting on a nearby bench was Tyron Douglas Henton Jr., a 31-year-old armed security guard employed by a private company, Tactical Enforcement Protective Division, to protect the jewelry kiosk. Hearing the glass shatter, Henton saw Deavyn running and gave chase. According to an arrest warrant affidavit, Henton fired his weapon in two separate bursts. The first three shots were fired while both he and Deavyn were still inside the shopping center. Henton then pursued Deavyn out into the parking lot, where he fired two more shots.
Witnesses reported hearing four to five gunshots. Deavyn, struck by the gunfire, managed to run across the expansive parking lot before he collapsed near Seminary Drive. Fort Worth Police Department officers, responding to reports of the shooting, found him there and attempted life-saving measures. However, his injuries were too severe, and he was pronounced dead at the scene at 8:48 p.m. The Tarrant County Medical Examiner later confirmed his death was a homicide caused by gunshot wounds.
The Fort Worth Police Department’s Homicide Unit led the investigation. Detectives reviewed surveillance footage from the mall and interviewed Henton and other witnesses. Henton told investigators that he saw Deavyn run past a child while holding the hammer and believed there was a threat, which prompted him to open fire. However, the arrest affidavit stated that the video evidence told a different story. Investigators concluded that Deavyn was focused on escaping and did not raise the hammer or turn toward anyone in a threatening manner.
According to the warrant, Henton acknowledged to detectives that he did not see Deavyn with any stolen property other than the hammer and did not believe at the moment of the shooting that he had actually stolen anything. The affidavit concluded that "Henton could not articulate any imminent threat Holt posed to Henton or any other person." A police spokesperson later clarified that under Texas law, deadly force is only justified to stop deadly force, not to protect property in a situation like this one.
Two days after the shooting, on October 16, 2026, Fort Worth police arrested Tyron Henton and charged him with murder, a first-degree felony. He was booked into the Tarrant County jail with bond set at $100,000. No other injuries were reported during the incident, and police confirmed that no Fort Worth officers fired their weapons.
As of the latest available reports in October 2026, the case against Tyron Henton Jr. was proceeding through the legal system. No further public information has been released regarding a trial, plea, or verdict. The life of Deavyn Lee Holt, who he was and what led him to the mall that night, remains largely unknown, as no family statements or memorial details have been shared publicly. The Fort Worth Police Department asked anyone who witnessed the incident or had video to contact them at 817-392-4222 or to leave an anonymous tip with Crime Stoppers of Tarrant County at 817-469-TIPS.
