Laredo Christmas holiday roundup: Fire contained on market street, shooting arrest made, serious crash, Loop 20 expansion progresses

Laredo’s Christmas week was marked by a mix of urgent local incidents and promising infrastructure milestones. Authorities responded to a Market Street structure fire, a Christmas morning shooting that led to an arrest, and a serious vehicle collision involving a local woman transferred to a San Antonio hospital. Meanwhile, officials confirmed the landmark Loop 20 highway expansion has reached nearly 40% completion, signaling tangible progress in one of South Texas’s largest infrastructure projects.

Market street structure fire quickly contained

Firefighters from the Laredo Fire Department responded to a structure fire on Market Street early Thursday morning, December 26, 2025. According to KGNS News, crews arrived on scene within minutes and successfully contained the blaze before it could spread.

The fire reportedly broke out at an older commercial structure along 2901 Market Street. Units on scene blocked off Arkansas and Market streets during the response. No injuries or fatalities have yet been reported, and authorities said the cause remains under investigation.

Early Christmas morning shooting leads to arrest

Police arrested one man following a shooting that broke out in the early hours of Christmas Day. Laredo Police Department (LPD) officers responded around 12:20 am to a residence in the 4200 block of Exodus Drive after reports of gunfire during a holiday gathering.

Witnesses told investigators that an argument escalated, leading one individual to fire multiple rounds before fleeing the scene. Officers quickly located and detained a suspect matching the description. Authorities confirmed that no fatalities occurred, but at least one person sustained non-life-threatening injuries and received treatment at a local hospital.

LPD investigators are pursuing aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and second‑degree felony charges as they continue.

Laredo woman hit by vehicle, airlifted to San Antonio

In another serious incident Friday morning, a Laredo woman sustained critical injuries after being hit by a car near a busy thoroughfare. First responders transported her to Doctors Hospital of Laredo before she was airlifted to a San Antonio medical facility for advanced trauma care, according to KGNS-TV.

The woman was reportedly crossing the road from an area not designated for crossing when she was hit by the car. The driver involved stayed at the scene to cooperate with authorities.

Police have yet to confirm whether speed or impairment contributed to the incident, but investigators continue to collect surveillance footage and eyewitness statements.

Loop 20 highway expansion reaches 40% completion

Amid these incidents, transportation officials delivered encouraging updates on the Loop 20 (US 59) expansion project, now approximately 40% complete.

A Laredo Sector Transportation Department spokesperson said the department will begin the third phase in the new year, emphasizing its goal to transform Loop 20 into a full freeway-standard corridor to improve Laredo’s traffic flow and trade connectivity.

This multi-phase project includes additional overpasses, interchanges, and continuous frontage roads, representing one of the largest infrastructure undertakings in Webb County’s history.