On the evening of April 20, 2026, 60-year-old Luis Fernando Marquez was walking on a sidewalk in Laredo, Texas, when his life was tragically cut short. An innocent bystander, Marquez was struck by a stray bullet in the 5900 block of San Bernardo Avenue at approximately 9:35 p.m. He was rushed to a local hospital where he succumbed to his injuries overnight, marking the third homicide in the city for that year.
A preliminary investigation by the Laredo Police Department revealed that the
shooting stemmed from a road rage incident between two vehicles. It is believed that one of the drivers involved in the aggressive driving dispute fired a weapon at the other vehicle, and a stray bullet hit Marquez, who had no involvement in the altercation. An LPD spokesperson described him as "just an innocent bystander."
In the wake of the shooting, detectives with the CAPERS unit launched an active investigation. Through the use of surveillance video from businesses in the area, authorities were able to identify a suspect vehicle. This led them to a warehouse on Camino a las Minas where they located and arrested 36-year-old Allen Denel Phillips, a resident of Oklahoma. During the operation, a semi-automatic weapon was found in the suspect's vehicle. Investigators reported that Phillips claimed he was unaware that he had shot someone.
Following his arrest, Allen Denel Phillips was charged with first-degree murder. The case remains under investigation, and further information is expected to be released as it becomes available. Luis Fernando Marquez, a resident of Sioux City, Iowa, who was born in San Julián, Jalisco, Mexico, was remembered by his family as a kind and charitable man with a steadfast Catholic faith, known for his good heart, optimism, and humor.
