A man has been sentenced to prison following a road rage incident in Round Rock that escalated to a shootout, a harrowing example of the rising gun violence on our streets. Esteban Rivera, 26, received a one-year prison sentence with a subsequent five-year probation period after being found guilty of endangering a child and deadly conduct related to the March 2021 incident.
The confrontation began with a minor car crash on FM 1431, which saw Rivera pursuing the vehicle that hit him into a neighborhood. According to FOX 7 Austin, Rivera’s car had been rear-ended by a blue Toyota Camry, causing him to hit the vehicle in front of him. However, the situation quickly turned violent after Rivera gave chase to the Camry into a cul-de-sac where gunfire was exchanged between the two parties.
Four innocent lives were at stake during the exchange – Rivera's wife and their three children, all under ten, who were in the car at the time of the shooting. FOX 7 Austin reports that no physical injuries were sustained despite shots hitting the vehicle and a nearby home.
Williamson County District Attorney Shawn Dick commented on the case, emphasizing that road rage violence will not be tolerated. "Don't put other people's lives at risk by the actions that you take," Dick said. "And I think the jury saw all of [Rivera's] actions and saw the way that he really became the aggressor in this incident," Dick told KVUE.
