Nearly two years after a chaotic late-night shootout tore through Fiesta de los Reyes at Market Square, Nadia Alvarez has gone to court. Alvarez, who says she was hit by a stray bullet during the April 28, 2024 gunfire, filed a civil lawsuit on April 27, 2026, targeting both Fiesta organizers and the City of San Antonio. The complaint, which requests a jury trial, seeks more than $1 million in damages for medical costs, lost income and other alleged harms.
What the lawsuit says
Filed April 27 in Bexar County’s 45th District Court, the suit names Fiesta San Antonio Commission Inc., Consejo Real de Reyes Feos Anteriores Inc. and the City of San Antonio as defendants, according to KABB. The filing states that Alvarez was attending Fiesta de los Reyes when a congested festival zone suddenly turned into the backdrop for an exchange of gunfire.
Allegations in the complaint
Alvarez’s complaint argues that Fiesta organizers and city officials failed to keep weapons out of the area and did not implement basic screening or crowd-control measures. According to the filing, the defendants did not ban firearms, use metal detectors, set up controlled entry points or otherwise provide sufficient security, and it claims security personnel acted “with conscious indifference or reckless disregard for the safety of others,” KABB reports.
Alvarez is asking for damages for physical pain and suffering, mental anguish, disfigurement, physical impairment, lost wages, diminished earning capacity and past and future medical expenses. Her suit also formally requests that a jury, not just a judge, decide the case.
How the 2024 shooting unfolded
The gunfire broke out just after midnight on April 28, 2024, during Fiesta de los Reyes. Police said two people opened fire on each other near Concho and Margarita Alley, and two men were killed while several bystanders were injured. Local reporting, including bodycam footage review by KSAT, documented the pandemonium and the law enforcement response in and around Historic Market Square.
Security changes and community reaction
In the wake of the shooting, city officials and Fiesta organizers said they would reexamine and tighten security plans for future Market Square festivities. They publicly pledged “enhanced” steps such as bag checks and weapon screening at entrances, responding to vocal calls from residents for tougher entry rules and other security changes after the April 2024 violence, according to Axios.
Legal outlook
Under Texas law, government bodies often have significant protection from lawsuits. The Texas Tort Claims Act provides only limited waivers of governmental immunity, so cities and other public entities routinely raise immunity and jurisdictional defenses in similar cases. That legal structure means the City of San Antonio and the other defendants may ask the court to dismiss some or all of Alvarez’s claims before the case can move forward, as outlined in Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code Ch. 101.
Alvarez’s lawsuit, now on file in Bexar County’s 45th District Court, is still in its early stages. It is not yet known when the defendants will formally respond or whether the litigation will spur additional policy changes beyond the security measures already discussed. Reporters have requested comment from city officials and Fiesta organizers, and the initial court schedule and any early motions will shape whether the case ultimately heads to trial.
.jpg){kind=link}