“We have every reason to believe that this could have been prevented by just an ordinary reasonable amount of care and security.”
SAN ANTONIO — A woman injured during a deadly shootout at Market Square during the 2024 Fiesta de los Reyes celebration has filed a lawsuit seeking more than $1 million, alleging organizers and security personnel failed to provide adequate safety measures at the event.
The lawsuit was filed on behalf of Nadia Alvarez by attorney Art Martinez de Vara. It names the Fiesta Commission, the Rey Feo Consejo Educational Foundation and the City of San Antonio as defendants.
According to the suit, Alvarez was among five people wounded during an April 2024 gunfight at Market Square. Police said at the time that two men involved in the shooting had an ongoing dispute and exchanged gunfire in the crowded area. Both men died.
Martinez de Vara said Alvarez continues to suffer from injuries sustained in the shooting, including a bullet lodged in her leg that doctors advised against removing because of the medical risks.
“She has permanent wounds,” Martinez de Vara said.
The lawsuit alleges organizers and city officials knew the event could attract armed individuals and failed to take reasonable precautions to prevent weapons from being brought into the event. It also points to a similar gun-related incident during the 2023 event, arguing that organizers did not make meaningful security improvements afterward.
“What is of particular concern was that there was a similar event in 2023 involving a gunfight, and there were no significant actions taken to improve the security the subsequent year,” Martinez de Vara said.
The suit claims additional safety measures — including metal detectors and fencing around the event area — could have prevented the violence. Those measures have since been implemented at the festival.
“We believe not providing that in this instance is negligent,” he said.
The lawsuit also alleges security guards responding to the shooting acted recklessly and escalated the danger during the exchange of gunfire in the crowded entertainment district.
“They prolonged the gunfight in a very dense, crowded area,” Martinez de Vara said.
The case is seeking damages for physical injuries and emotional distress and is expected to move into the discovery phase, where attorneys will seek video, records, and additional details about the events leading up to the shooting and the emergency response that followed.