Illegal alien who fired AR style rifle from crowded Dallas Bridge on New Year’s Eve sentenced to 35 months in prison (DOJ)

DALLAS - United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould announced that a man who fired multiple rounds from an AR-style rifle off the Margaret McDermott Bridge amid New Year's Eve celebrations was sentenced to 35 months in federal prison for unlawfully possessing a firearm as an illegal alien.

Jose Raul Alarcon Sanchez, an illegal alien from Mexico, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge David C. Godbey. In imposing the 35-month sentence, Judge Godbey noted that although Alarcon Sanchez is young, his conduct was "incredibly dangerous" and warranted a significant term of imprisonment.

"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."

According to court records, just after midnight on Jan. 1, Alarcon Sanchez and another man stood among stopped vehicles and crowds gathered to watch celebratory fireworks from the Margaret McDermott Bridge. The two men took turns filming each other firing black rifles over the side of the bridge.

On Jan. 5, Dallas Police Department officers recovered significant ballistic evidence at the scene, including seventy-nine 5.56/.223 caliber fired cartridge casings and multiple 9mm and .40 caliber casings both on and beneath the bridge. Additional matching cartridge casings and ammunition were recovered from Alarcon Sanchez's pockets and his van when he was arrested by Grand Prairie Police later that night in response to a separate "shots fired" call.

A subsequent search warrant executed at Alarcon Sanchez's residence on Jan. 28, resulted in the recovery of multiple firearms, including an AR-15-style pistol later linked to the fired cartridge casings found on the bridge. Agents also recovered his Mexican passport and confirmed that he had overstayed a temporary visitor visa issued in May 2025.

Investigators additionally located social media photographs and videos posted by Alarcon Sanchez days before and immediately after the New Year's Eve shooting, depicting him holding and firing the same AR-style rifles believed to have been used on the bridge.

Photos from Alarcon Sanchez's social media posts, showing a man holding AR-style rifles.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Dallas Field Division and the Dallas Police Department conducted the investigation, with assistance from the Grand Prairie Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Marissa Aulbaugh from the Violent Crimes section prosecuted the case.

###

Contact

[email protected]

Updated September 21, 2026