Ryan Romero was a 15-year-old Hispanic/Latino male and a student at Bel Air High School in El Paso, Texas. His family remembered him as a kind and funny boy who was loved by everyone he met. His sister said he "would tease you but smile after, knowing he could make you smile." His mother, Melissa Mata, described him as a "great person," and his brother, Ricky Mata, said, "There’s really nothing that compares to this." After his death, loved ones gathered for a vigil at Ralph Cloud Park, wearing shirts with his picture and releasing balloons in his honor.
In the early morning hours of April 16, 2023, Ryan was at a large desert party with over 200 people near Batavia Street in Horizon City. According to court documents, an argument broke out between Ryan, his friend, and another group of males.
Investigators later learned from Ryan's friend that Ryan had been carrying a "fake" handgun with a light and laser attachment in his waistband, and that both he and Ryan had been arguing with people at the party. As the party was ending and they were leaving, another argument began. Ryan reportedly lifted his shirt to show the fake gun, at which point one of the other males pulled out a real handgun and fired several rounds.
When El Paso County Sheriff's Office deputies arrived at 1:33 a.m., they found Ryan not breathing in the passenger seat of a vehicle. He was transported to University Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead. A 17-year-old girl, Delilah Daniela Valenzuela, was also found in the driver's seat of a nearby vehicle with a non-life-threatening gunshot wound to her head. A friend told detectives that after Ryan was shot, he said he was "hit" and got into the passenger seat of a car before quickly losing consciousness.
More than two months later, on June 20, 2023, authorities arrested 19-year-old Anthony Nguyen Duenas in connection with the shooting. He was booked into the El Paso County Jail and charged with murder and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, with his bond set at $1,150,000.
On October 2, Anthony Nguyen Duenas pleaded guilty to manslaughter and aggravated assault with a weapon. He was sentenced to ten years of deferred adjudication, which included 10 years of probation and 600 hours of community service. As of the reporting of his sentencing in November 2025, the case is closed.
