Del Rio police recover 100 shell casings, arrest two men in shooting case

Del Rio police recovered more than 100 spent shell casings after a shots-fired call in the 1000 block of Taini Avenue near W. Gutierrez Street, then arrested two 20-year-old men in a case that raised fresh concern about gunfire in a residential neighborhood. Nathaniel Anthony Cuellar and Anthony Josue Gonzalez were charged with deadly conduct by discharging a firearm. No injuries or property damage were reported.

Officers responded at 12:17 a.m. on July 5 after a report of gunfire. When they arrived, police said they saw two males sitting under the porch of a residence. Investigators said the men were wearing dark clothing and avoiding eye contact, while witnesses in the area reported hearing loud blasts that sounded like gunshots rather than fireworks.

Witnesses also told investigators that someone discharged a firearm in the area and that the blasts appeared to come from the direction of the porch where the two men had been sitting. As officers moved in to make contact again, the two men were no longer under the porch. A short time later, they came out of the residence with their hands raised and were taken into custody without incident.

Police said the evidence collected from the scene included more than 100 shell casings in 9 mm, .223 and 7.62 calibers, along with magazines for a 9 mm pistol and a .223-caliber rifle. Live ammunition and firearms were also recovered and turned into evidence. The scale of the haul points to a significant burst of gunfire in a crowded part of Del Rio, where neighbors have repeatedly dealt with late-night shots-fired calls.

Texas Penal Code Section 22.05 defines deadly conduct as recklessly engaging in conduct that places another in imminent danger of serious bodily injury, including discharging a firearm at or in the direction of people, a habitation, a building or a vehicle. The Del Rio Police Department also says records tied to open criminal investigations may be withheld under Texas Government Code Section 552.108, which can limit additional detail while a case remains active.

The arrests add to continuing public-safety worries in Del Rio and Val Verde County about residential gunfire and the risk it poses to people trying to sleep in nearby homes. Similar shots-fired incidents in the city in 2024 and 2026 have kept pressure on police to explain whether the latest case fits a broader pattern and what steps come next.