A viral video showing gunmen firing from a Dallas bridge on New Year’s has now led to multiple arrests and immigration holds as police say the suspects were involved in repeated acts of gun violence across North Texas.
The Dallas Police Department announced the arrests Tuesday, identifying Anthony Acevedo, 20, and Jose AlarconSanchez, 18, both of Grand Prairie, as two of the suspects seen in multiple social media videos firing guns from the Margaret McDermott Bridge over Interstate 30, just west of downtown Dallas.
The reckless gunfire, captured on camera and viewed worldwide, according to police, sparked immediate public outrage and a large-scale investigation.
Detectives with DPD’s Central Patrol Division and Special Investigations Unit launched what police described as an aggressive and exhaustive investigation, working alongside the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Investigators recovered more than 100 shell casings near the bridge.
Booking photos show Anthony Acevedo, 20, Jose AlarconSanchez, 18, and Anderson Derce Lara, 25. Dallas police said Acevedo and AlarconSanchez were arrested in connection with a viral New Year’s Eve gunfire incident, while Lara is charged in a separate road-rage shooting involving children. (X/@DallasPD)
During the investigation, detectives learned AlarconSanchez had been arrested earlier that same morning by the Grand Prairie Police Department for a similar firearms offense on January 1, 2026.
As the case expanded, investigators uncovered evidence linking 25-year-old Anderson Derce Lara to a separate road-rage shooting in November. Police say Derce Lara fired multiple rounds into a vehicle carrying three adults and three children, narrowly missing the victims.
A person is seen holding a firearm on the Margaret McDermott Bridge in Dallas in a video recorded on New Year’s Eve. Police said the video is part of an investigation into celebratory gunfire. (X/@DallasPD)
With assistance from the ATF, investigators executed a search warrant and recovered multiple firearms, including rifles matching those seen in the viral bridge video, further tying Derce Lara to both incidents.
Acevedo and AlarconSanchez are charged with discharge of a firearm in certain municipalities, a class A misdemeanor. Derce Lara faces six counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, a first-degree felony.
Firearms recovered during a joint investigation by Dallas police and the ATF are shown in an evidence photo. Authorities said the weapons include firearms seen in a viral New Year’s Eve gunfire video. (X/@DallasPD)
Police said Acevedo has been released on bond, while AlarconSanchez and Derce Lara are being held on immigration detainers.
“If you put lives at risk in Dallas, we will identify you, investigate thoroughly, and hold you accountable,” Dallas Police Chief Daniel Comeaux said.
The investigation remains ongoing.
