SAN ANGELO, Texas — Eighteen-year-old Jordan DeLaCruz was killed inside a Windmill Apartments unit Friday night in what police are calling a tragic accident involving a handgun. Officers say the shooting happened around 8:45 p.m. on February 6, 2026, and that 19-year-old Norberto Gonzales is now in custody facing manslaughter charges.
Neighbors in the 1900 block of Raney Street called San Angelo police after hearing gunfire in the apartment complex. When officers arrived, they found DeLaCruz inside the unit unresponsive with a gunshot wound to the head. Medics rushed him to Shannon Medical Center, but he was later pronounced dead by hospital staff. Gonzales was taken into custody at the scene without incident.
Police say that early investigation points to careless handling of a handgun by the two young men. Authorities believe Gonzales and DeLaCruz were playing with the firearm inside the apartment when it discharged. That shot struck DeLaCruz and killed him. The shooting does not appear to be part of a larger crime or threat to the public, San Angelo police said.
Court documents reveal some chilling details. A witness who lives with Gonzales told detectives that DeLaCruz had stayed the night earlier and remained in the apartment with Gonzales when the shooting happened. Around 8:50 p.m., that witness said Gonzales called her by video and appeared upset, apologizing before turning the camera to show DeLaCruz lying motionless on the floor with blood on his head.
When detectives later spoke with Gonzales, he reportedly said he and DeLaCruz had been trying to unload the gun by dropping the magazine and dry-firing it at each other. He claimed he thought the weapon was empty when he pointed it at DeLaCruz and pulled the trigger. That shot, police say, proved deadly.
Gonzales was arrested the next day and booked into the Tom Green County Jail on a $75,000 bond. He faces a manslaughter charge and is being held without bond pending further proceedings. Police have not released additional information, and the investigation is ongoing.
Friends and family have yet to publicly speak about DeLaCruz’s death, but community members are grappling with the loss of a young life and the sobering reminder of how dangerous firearms can be when handled without caution. Officials continue to urge safe gun practices in homes across the city.
