A what was meant to be a joyous birthday celebration turned into a scene of tragedy on the evening of July 20, 2026, in San Antonio, Texas, resulting in the deaths of a father and son, 62-year-old Richard Arnold Carrillo and 39-year-old Richard Arnold Carrillo Jr. The two men were shot following a dispute outside the Pecan Grove Bar on Roosevelt Avenue on the city's South Side. The younger Carrillo was celebrating his 39th birthday with his family when the altercation and subsequent shooting occurred just before 7 p.m. Richard Carrillo Jr. was pronounced dead at the scene, while his father was rushed to a local hospital in critical condition with multiple gunshot wounds, where he later succumbed to his injuries. The Bexar County Medical Examiner's Office officially ruled both deaths as homicides caused by gunshot wounds.
Following the shooting, a 34-year-old man, described as a distant relative of Richard Carrillo Jr., fled the scene and was later taken into custody by San Antonio police at a nearby hotel for questioning. However, the suspect was subsequently released after asserting that he acted in self-defense. This claim has been vehemently disputed by the grieving family, who maintain that neither Richard Sr. nor Richard Jr. was armed with any weapons during the incident. The family has publicly called for justice, expressing their profound loss and their belief that the shooting was intentional. In the wake of the tragedy, the family organized a plate sale and started a GoFundMe campaign to help with the unexpected funeral expenses for both men.
As of the latest available reports from late July 2026, the San Antonio Police Department has not made any arrests in connection with the double homicide, and the investigation remains active and ongoing. The police have not publicly identified the suspect who was questioned and released. The case, which cut short the lives of a beloved father and son, has left their family and community in mourning as they await further developments from law enforcement. The lack of an arrest, despite a known individual being questioned, hinges on the claim of self-defense, a matter that remains at the center of the ongoing investigation into the tragic deaths of Richard Arnold Carrillo and his son.
