Suspect sentenced for New Year's Eve bridge shooting in Dallas

DALLAS - One of the suspects accused of firing over 100 rounds off the Margaret McDermott Bridge in Dallas on New Year's Eve was sentenced to nearly three years in federal prison on Monday.

Dallas NYE bridge shooting suspect sentenced

The latest:

Jose Raul Alarcon Sanchez was sentenced to 35 months in federal prison for unlawfully possessing a firearm as an undocumented immigrant, the U.S. Department of Justice announced on Monday.

Alarcon Sanchez was one of two men seen in viral video firing weapons from the Margaret McDermott Bridge on New Year's Eve. Dallas PD previously said they recovered over 100 casings from the bridge.

Police found social media videos and photos posted by Alarcon Sanchez before and after the New Year's Eve shooting showing him holding the same AR-style rifles believed to have been used on the bridge.

According to a complaint filing the federal charge, 79 5.56/.223 caliber casings and four 9-millimeter fired cartridge casings were recovered from where Alarcon Sanchez and the other man were observed firing the rifles.

Alarcon Sanchez was arrested in January in Grand Prairie when officers responded to a shots-fired call. He was reportedly found with live rounds in his pockets and his van, as well as an AK-47-style rifle.

Officials found during a search of Alarcon Sanchez's home found that he initially came to the U.S. on a temporary visitor visa in May 2025, which he did not request an extension for. The U.S. Attorney's office says he's been staying in the country illegally, rather than returning to his home country of Mexico when his visa expired. 

Along with the visa, the attorney's office says the search found several guns, including the one believed to have been used on the bridge in the NYE incident. Police say they recovered a .380 caliber pistol, a 9mm caliber pistol, and three 5.56 caliber AR-15 pistols. One of the AR-15 pistols has been linked to the casings found near the bridge. 

Two other suspects

Anthony Acevedo, 20, of Grand Prairie, was also arrested in connection with the bridge shooting. He also faces a charge of discharging a firearm in certain municipalities. He's since been released on bond. 

While investigating the bridge gunfire, authorities found evidence linking Derce Lara to a violent road-rage incident in November. In that case, police say Derce Lara fired multiple rounds into a vehicle occupied by three adults and three children, the youngest of whom was 3 years old. Lara is being held on an immigration hold. 

What they're saying:

"Spraying rifle fire off a downtown bridge is a lawless act that puts our Dallas residents at risk. This sentence makes clear that anyone who turns a celebration into a crime scene will face swift and serious federal consequences," said U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould. "We will not tolerate violent, brazen conduct that endangers the public, and we will continue to use every federal tool available to protect North Texans."

"This case is a clear example of why we never stop working the evidence," said ATF Dallas Field Division Special Agent in Charge Brian Garner. "What happened on that bridge could have ended in tragedy, but our agents and our law enforcement partners methodically followed the evidence—from the shell casings recovered at the scene to the firearm and ultimately to the individual who pulled the trigger. When someone recklessly uses a firearm in a way that puts innocent people in danger, ATF will use every investigative resource available to identify that firearm, identify the shooter, and build the case necessary to hold them accountable."

DallasCrime and Public Safety