A routine morning drive to school in San Antonio turned into a traumatic and life-threatening ordeal when a road rage encounter escalated into gunfire, leaving a 10-year-old girl seriously injured. The incident, which unfolded near a residential area and busy intersection, has drawn renewed attention to the dangers of impulsive violence on public roads and the risks faced by families during ordinary daily activities.
According to police and court records, a brief exchange that began with a warning honk ended with a bullet tearing through a family vehicle and striking a child seated in the back. The case has since progressed into a criminal investigation with multiple felony charges, as authorities piece together witness accounts, physical evidence, and surveillance footage to establish what occurred and why.
The Morning Drive and the Escalation of Events
The shooting occurred on Friday near Timberhill Drive and Wurzbach Road as the Gates family was traveling to drop off their daughter, Alisa Gates, at school. Police allege that the sequence began when Bryan Arceo, 41, backed his gray Nissan Murano out of his driveway, creating a traffic situation that prompted Alisa Gates’s mother to honk her horn as a warning. Family members later emphasized that the honking was brief, lasting only a few seconds, and was intended to alert Arceo to a potential collision rather than provoke an argument.
According to an arrest affidavit obtained by WKRC, the interaction escalated rapidly. Investigators say Arceo responded aggressively by brake-checking the family’s minivan, a maneuver that involves abruptly slowing or stopping a vehicle to intimidate or endanger the driver behind. The affidavit further alleges that Arceo then pulled alongside the family at a red light. At that point, Alisa Gates’s mother told police that Arceo pointed a handgun toward their vehicle.
Moments later, a shot was fired. The bullet pierced the side of the minivan, passing through the back door near where Alisa was seated. Her parents initially did not realize she had been hit. They reported smelling gunpowder inside the vehicle and only then noticed that their daughter had been struck in the stomach. The family immediately sought emergency medical help, and Alisa Gates was rushed to a hospital, where she underwent surgery for her injuries.
The alleged shooter fled the immediate area after the incident. Surveillance footage later reviewed by investigators reportedly shows Arceo dropping off his ex-wife at work and a child at a nearby school shortly after the shooting. This timeline has become part of the evidentiary record as authorities attempt to establish Arceo’s movements before and after the gunfire.
Injuries, Witness Accounts, and Physical Evidence
Alisa Gates’ injury was severe enough to require emergency surgery, underscoring the potentially fatal consequences of the encounter. While her parents were not physically injured, the psychological impact of witnessing their child being shot has been described by family members as devastating. Alisa Gates’s father, Jason Gates, told local media that the horn was used briefly and that there was no prolonged confrontation before the shooting occurred.
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Witness testimony has played a central role in the investigation. Initially, the family told investigators that Arceo appeared to be alone in his vehicle at the time of the shooting. However, the arrest affidavit states that Arceo’s ex-wife was also present in the car and later provided an account to police. According to the affidavit, she told investigators that she looked away and then heard a loud pop. She reported seeing Arceo point the gun at the family’s van, rack the slide, and fire. She also confirmed that he carries a silver and black handgun.
Police recovered a live 9mm round at the scene, adding physical evidence to support the witness statements. The trajectory of the bullet, which pierced the back door of the minivan, aligned with the position where Alisa Gates had been sitting. Investigators have indicated that the proximity of the bullet’s entry point to the child’s seat highlights how narrowly the incident avoided an even more catastrophic outcome.
The combination of eyewitness testimony, physical evidence, and video footage has informed the charges filed against Arceo. Authorities have emphasized that the alleged actions occurred in a public roadway during morning traffic hours, when other drivers and pedestrians could have been at risk. The presence of a child victim has further intensified scrutiny of the incident.
Criminal Charges and Ongoing Investigation
Bryan Arceo was taken into custody on Friday and booked into the Bexar County Adult Detention Center. He is facing three counts of aggravated assault for recklessly discharging a firearm, each classified as a first-degree felony, along with a count of child endangerment. These charges reflect prosecutors’ assessment that firing a weapon from a vehicle into another occupied vehicle constitutes an extreme and unjustifiable risk to human life.
Aggravated assault charges of this nature carry significant potential penalties under Texas law, particularly when a firearm is involved and when the alleged victim is a minor. The child endangerment charge specifically addresses the risk posed to Alisa Gates, who was seated in the back of the minivan and had no involvement in the traffic interaction that preceded the shooting.
The investigation remains ongoing as authorities continue to review evidence and prepare the case for court proceedings. Law enforcement officials have not publicly disclosed whether additional charges could be filed or whether further witnesses may come forward. Court records and future hearings are expected to clarify the legal path ahead, including whether Arceo will seek bail and how prosecutors will present the sequence of events.
The case has drawn attention locally as an example of how quickly everyday situations can escalate into violence. Police have reiterated calls for drivers to remain calm during traffic disputes and to disengage rather than confront others on the road. While such statements are common following incidents of road rage, investigators in this case have focused their public comments on the facts as laid out in affidavits and court filings.
For the Gates family, the focus remains on Alisa Gates’s recovery following surgery. No additional details about her current medical condition have been released publicly beyond confirmation that she survived the shooting and received immediate treatment. As the legal process unfolds, the incident stands as a stark account of a morning commute transformed by a single gunshot, leaving lasting consequences for a child, her family, and a community grappling with the realities of road rage violence.