A teenage illegal migrant has been sentenced to just under three years in federal prison after a wildly viral video caught him and a friend using AR-style rifles to spray more than 100 shots from a Dallas bridge as revelers gathered to watch New Year’s Eve fireworks.
Mexican national Jose Alarcon Sanchez, 18, had entered the US in May 2025, then illegally stayed once his temporary visa ran out, the Department of Justice said Monday.
He was then filmed just hours into the new year as he and another man “took turns filming each other firing black rifles over the side of” the Margaret McDermott Bridge as revelers mingled below — with around 100 cartridge casings found at the scene.
“What happened on that bridge could have ended in tragedy” and put “innocent people in danger,” said Brian Garner, the ATF agent in charge.
Sanchez was later busted by Grand Prairie Police responding to a separate “shots fired” call, the feds said, without detailing what happened in that incident.
Investigators then found “multiple firearms” at his home, including the AR‑15‑style pistol matching the cartridges found at the scene. They also found his Mexican passport confirming he was in the US illegally.
Sanchez was also linked to the “incredibly dangerous” stunt by the video — which racked up more than 6.5 million views — and other social media pics he posted showing off the weapons used.
Sanchez pleaded guilty to unlawfully possessing a firearm as an illegal immigrant and was sentenced Monday to two years and 11 months in federal prison.
Judge David C. Godbey noted how young Sanchez was, but insisted he needed a harsh punishment given how “incredibly dangerous” he had been.
“Spraying rifle fire off a downtown bridge is a lawless act that puts our Dallas residents at risk,” Ryan Raybould, the US Attorney for the Northern District of Texas, also said in welcoming the sentence.
“This sentence makes clear that anyone who turns a celebration into a crime scene will face swift and serious federal consequences.
“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.”
