Carmen Rosa Neira Ochoa, 56, was killed by a stray bullet in Kissimmee, Florida, shortly after midnight on January 1, 2025. She was on the back porch of her home with her two daughters when a bullet pierced the screen enclosure; she was taken to a hospital but died of her wounds. The shooting occurred during New Year’s celebrations as fireworks were going off.

Investigators traced the shot to a neighbor across the lake, 44-year-old Carlos Manuel Tejada, who reportedly fired a gun into the air. Police recovered 11 firearms from Tejada’s residence. On January 17, 2025, he was arrested and charged with manslaughter by culpable negligence. Kissimmee Police Chief Robert Anzueto warned about the hazards of celebratory gunfire and said Tejada’s actions, while not necessarily intentional, had deadly consequences.

Ochoa’s family has urged stricter enforcement against reckless gun use. If anyone witnessed the moments before or after the shooting or has information about the events that night, please come forward.