Three Die in Jal Shooting, Two Victims Were Del Rio Residents

Lea County authorities responded to a call at the Merryman RV Park in Jal on December 11, 2025, and found three people unresponsive at the scene. Deputies discovered two victims with fatal gunshot wounds who were later pronounced dead, and a third man who suffered what appeared to be a self inflicted gunshot wound and was initially alive but later died.

Authorities identified the two people killed as Alvaro Garza Garcia, 20, and Andrea Rodriguez, 22, both residents of Del Rio. Early reporting named a suspect as Juan Morales, 27, of El Paso. Local hospital personnel and investigative teams from Lea County led the emergency response and the ongoing inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the deaths.

The presence of Del Rio residents among the victims connects the shooting directly to Val Verde County and has immediate local implications. Families in Del Rio are grieving and will be looking to county and city officials for information and support. The involvement of a hospital and Lea County investigators underscores the cross border nature of the response, requiring cooperation between New Mexico and Texas authorities on evidence sharing, next of kin notifications, and any criminal case that may follow.

Policy considerations include the need for clear protocols for cross jurisdictional investigations and timely communication with affected communities. Local law enforcement and elected officials face pressure to explain how public safety resources are deployed and how victim services will be provided to families from Val Verde County. The incident may also shape community discussions about emergency response capacity, mental health services, and local crime prevention strategies as residents seek reassurance and concrete steps to reduce risk.

Officials have not released further public details about motive or the status of any criminal charges. Residents of Del Rio and Val Verde County can expect additional briefings from Lea County investigators and from local law enforcement in the coming days as the inquiry continues and authorities work to piece together the events that led to this tragedy.