Dangerous holiday week draws heavy response from San Antonio police

Authorities were called to at least three separate shootings

SAN ANTONIO – San Antonio police had a busy Thanksgiving week after being called to at least three shootings that left multiple people dead and several others injured.

One of the shootings happened on the city’s Northeast Side, and the other two on the Southeast Side.

According to police, the first shooting happened around 8 p.m., Thursday, in the 4000 block of Sunrise Creek Drive, near Binz-Engleman Road and Mystic Sunrise Drive.

The home was filled with several people and was hosting a Thanksgiving celebration when it was targeted in a drive-by shooting. Two men, ages 28 and 25, were fatally shot in the incident.

Two women, ages 51 and 31, were also struck by the gunfire and taken to the Brooke Army Medical Center for further treatment of injuries. Their conditions are unknown at this time.

“It’s really heartbreaking; like, I can’t even understand… it’s a Thanksgiving dinner, you know, where family just get together,” said a resident who lives on Sunrise Creek.

“You’re ridiculous; you are a coward and this should not have happened, especially on a holiday,” said another resident who didn’t want to be identified that lives in the neighborhood.

The second shooting happened just before midnight Thursday on the Southeast Side in the 6000 block of Bear Branch Drive.

Police said there was a gathering at a home when a verbal argument ensued. A man involved in the argument left the home but later returned with a gun and began to shoot.

At some point, that man was shot multiple times and he died at the scene, officials said. His identity and age have not been released.

An 18-year-old woman and a 56-year-old man were also hit by the gunfire. They were taken to the Brooke Army Medical Center.

In the third shooting, police said they are still searching for a 16-year-old suspect. The incident happened around 4:15 a.m., Friday, at a mobile home park in the 5300 block of Southcross Ranch Road, not far from Loop 410 and New Sulphur Springs Road.

Police said officers arrived to find a 44-year-old man shot in the torso inside of a mobile home. He was taken to the Brooke Army Medical Center and is expected to survive.

“It would have been good to be notified, being that there’s a suspect on the loose. He could have gotten into the house or anything, being that it was a shooting. If he was armed, it could have been dangerous for any of the families around here,” said Sergio Contreras, who lives in the mobile home park.

A preliminary report from SAPD states the man and teenager were in an argument when the 16-year-old allegedly opened fire.


About the Authors:

John Paul Barajas is a reporter at KSAT 12. Previously, he worked at KRGV 5 in the Rio Grande Valley. He has a degree from the University of Houston. In his free time, he likes to get a workout in, spend time on the water and check out good eats and drinks.

Gavin Nesbitt is a photojournalist and video editor who joined KSAT in September 2021. He has traveled across the great state of Texas to film, conduct interviews and edit many major news stories, including the White Settlement church shooting, Hurricane Hanna, 2020 presidential campaigns, Texas border coverage and the Spurs.