Federal Charges Filed in Dallas Bridge Gunfire Case as Ballistics Link Weapons to New Year’s Eve Shooting

Federal Charges Added in Dallas Bridge Gunfire Case as Ballistics Tie Weapons to New Year’s Eve Chaos‼️
👉Dallas – One of the men accused of firing semi-automatic rifles from a Dallas bridge on New Year’s Eve is now facing federal charges, escalating a case that stunned the city and drew national attention.
Jose Alarcon-Sanchez, 18, of Grand Prairie, has been charged in federal court with unlawful possession of a firearm as an undocumented immigrant. The charge comes on top of a Class A misdemeanor for discharging a firearm within city limits, filed earlier by Dallas police.
Federal investigators say Alarcon-Sanchez entered the U.S. on a temporary visitor visa in May 2025, never requested an extension, and remained in the country illegally after it expired. A search of his home allegedly uncovered multiple firearms, including the weapon investigators believe was used during the bridge shooting. Authorities say they recovered a .380 pistol, a 9mm pistol, and three 5.56 caliber AR-15 pistols, one of which was ballistically matched to shell casings found at the scene.
Dallas police previously reported recovering more than 100 shell casings from the bridge. According to the federal complaint, 79 rifle casings and four 9mm casings were linked to where Alarcon-Sanchez and another suspect were seen firing into the air over a crowded area.
Alarcon-Sanchez was also arrested in Grand Prairie on New Year’s Day after officers responded to a shots-fired call. Prosecutors say he was found with live rounds in his pockets and vehicle, along with an AK-47-style rifle.
Another suspect, Anthony Acevedo, 20, was arrested on similar misdemeanor charges and has since been released on bond.
During the same investigation, authorities linked Anderson Derce Lara to a separate road-rage shooting in November, where police say he fired into a vehicle carrying three adults and three children, including a 3-year-old. Lara is currently being held on an immigration hold and faces six counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
Federal and local agencies, including Dallas Police Department and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, say the case highlights the dangers of celebratory gunfire.
“Firing rifles from a crowded bridge put countless lives at risk,” federal officials said, praising the use of ballistic evidence to build the case.

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