Investigators said a dispute at a gender reveal gathering on Shackleford Street ended in an exchange of gunfire and sent five adults to hospitals.
FORT WORTH, Texas — A gender reveal party in Fort Worth turned into a mass-casualty shooting Saturday after an argument between attendees escalated, leaving five adults hurt and ending with the arrest of a 22-year-old man on five felony assault charges.
The case now sits at the center of a fast-moving police investigation into who fired first, whose bullets struck the victims and how a family celebration spiraled into gunfire. Fort Worth police have said Jose Manuel Garcia was arrested after the shooting and accused of five counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Officers also have emphasized the setting: a crowded gathering that included children, relatives and other guests who were present when the confrontation broke out, making the danger wider than the immediate dispute between two armed men.
Investigators said the violence unfolded at a gender reveal party in the 5200 block of Shackleford Street on Saturday afternoon. According to an arrest affidavit cited in the initial reporting, Garcia had been showing a handgun in his waistband throughout the event, drawing concern from others at the party. Police said matters escalated when Garcia reportedly threatened another attendee. Guests then escorted him away from the main gathering, an effort police later described as the right move under the circumstances. But the separation did not hold. Authorities said a verbal argument continued, and Garcia allegedly pointed his gun at the man who had escorted him out. That man, according to police, pulled his own handgun because he feared for his safety. The result was an exchange of gunfire in the middle of a family event, sending guests scrambling and leaving five adults wounded before first responders could sort out what had happened.
Police said several victims were transported to local hospitals, and one of them was treated for a gunshot wound to the head. That injury stood out in the early account because it highlighted how narrowly the shooting may have avoided becoming fatal. Authorities have not publicly released the names of the injured adults, nor have they said whether all five were bystanders, participants in the confrontation or some combination of both. Garcia left the scene before officers arrived, police said, but later drove himself to a hospital. From there, investigators arrested him. His booking on five counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon signaled that detectives believe the injuries can support separate felony allegations for each wounded person. What remains unresolved is the mechanics of the shooting itself. Police said the man Garcia allegedly threatened told them he could not say who fired first, and officers have not stated whether bullets from that man’s gun may have struck any of the wounded guests.
That uncertainty matters because shootings involving more than one armed person can produce complicated forensic and legal questions. Detectives must match witness statements against physical evidence from the scene, shell casings, trajectories, medical records and any ballistic testing that can link bullets to a specific weapon. In public comments, police have not suggested that anyone other than Garcia has been charged so far, but they have also not closed off the possibility that further findings could sharpen or change the picture. The setting adds another layer of public concern. This was not an isolated quarrel in an empty lot. It was a family event built around a pregnancy celebration, with guests gathered for a reveal and children reportedly nearby. That contrast sharpened the reaction from the department, which framed the case not only as an assault investigation but as an example of how quickly visible weapons and personal conflict can put many unrelated people at risk.
Fort Worth police spokesman Daniel Segura made that point directly when he discussed the case after the arrest. “Violence is not going to stop anything. Five people were injured,” Segura said. He added that the outcome could have been even more tragic because children and family members were involved in the gathering. Segura also said partygoers acted appropriately when they tried to remove Garcia from the event after his behavior alarmed them. In a state where firearm ownership is common, he said, responsible handling remains essential. Those comments offered the clearest official reaction in the first public hours after the shooting, but they did not answer every key question. Police still have not said exactly how many shots were fired, whether Garcia was injured, whether surveillance or cellphone video exists, or when prosecutors may present a fuller account in court filings.
For now, the known legal step is Garcia’s arrest on five aggravated assault charges tied to the wounded victims. The next phase is expected to depend on continued interviews, forensic testing and review by prosecutors. Court records and future hearings may clarify how investigators assign responsibility for each injury and whether additional facts support more charges or defenses. Until then, the case stands as both a neighborhood crime story and a broader account of a celebration shattered by armed confrontation. On Shackleford Street, the immediate scene has quieted, but the investigation is still active and the unanswered questions remain central to what happened.
Police said the suspect was in custody and the victims were receiving treatment as detectives worked through conflicting accounts. The next major development is likely to come when investigators or prosecutors provide a more detailed timeline of the shooting and its aftermath.
Author note: Last updated April 14, 2026.