SAN ANTONIO – Neighbors in Stillwater Ranch are still shaken up about a shooting that sent bullets into homes and vehicles near a popular pickleball court.
The shooting happened around 9:15 p.m. Tuesday in the 12600 block of Emmett Grove, where the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office said gunfire was exchanged between two to three vehicles. Investigators say multiple homes and parked cars were struck by bullets.
The violence unfolded just yards from pickleball courts where families and friends had gathered for an evening game, including Henry Madrano IV. A video he and his daughter shared on social media captured the moment players heard a barrage of gunfire and rushed for cover.
“As soon I turned, I saw about six gun flashes out the window, a car window, that was heading away from us,” he said. “So I mainly told my family to get in the farthest corner and get down.”
He described the moment as surreal, and traumatizing for his family and other teens.
“Some of the girls were hysterical. The boys were hysterical,” he said. “When they bunched up in the corner, which is really not the right thing to do, they were just trying to find cover. They were trying to be safe.”
Homeowners who spoke off camera said bullets pierced their windows and shell casings were found in their yards. They hope the shooting was an isolated incident, and they said the gunfire has left them uneasy.
Alessandro Flores regularly plays at the courts and lives in a nearby neighborhood. He said the shooting has him watching his back.
“I know you’re locked in playing the game and stuff, but still you’ve got to be aware of your surroundings,” he said. “No matter where you are, something like that could happen.”
He said he was surprised to learn the violence happened so close to a place where families gather to play.
“You don’t expect something like that,” Flores said. “You kind of expect like, it’ll be like a chill day playing pickleball with your friends or your family. So it was shocking for sure.”
Madrano said he sought out the courts in the Stillwater Ranch neighborhood because he felt it was safe for his family.
“Whether it’s isolated or not, it’s reckless,” Madrano said. “Bullets can go anywhere; they don’t have a name on it. ... I probably wouldn’t go back in the evening. I probably would go in the morning maybe.”
The Bexar County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the shooting.
Deputies arrested a 17-year-old boy and 18-year-old Aniya West less than a mile from the scene. West was charged with tampering with evidence. Information about the juvenile has not been released.
Investigators are also looking into the role of a man who arrived at an urgent care center with gunshot wounds shortly after the shooting. Authorities said he did not cooperate with deputies, and they are working to determine whether he was a victim or involved in the exchange of gunfire.
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