LAS VEGAS, NV – In a shocking crime spree that unfolded in the early hours of Wednesday, a man in Las Vegas fatally shot his mother, stole a police vehicle, and engaged in multiple carjackings before ultimately killing a civilian. The civilian victim was a father of seven who was on his way to work.
The alleged perpetrator began his violent spree by murdering his mother near his childhood home in southeast Las Vegas. The police came to the scene in response to the shooting, only to encounter additional gunfire. Amid the chaos, the suspect managed to commandeer an empty police vehicle and fled the scene.
The perpetrator then abandoned the police cruiser and carjacked two victims in the southwestern part of the city. 39-year-old Jerry Lopez was victimized in the final carjacking. Despite following procedure and pulling over for emergency vehicles, Lopez unknowingly gelled into the path of the assailant, who shot him and seized his van.
As the suspect attempted to escape in Lopez’s van, police opened fire on the vehicle. The stolen van eventually came to a halt and Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team officers approached the vehicle. They confirmed that the suspect, who had become immobile in the vehicle, was dead.
Authorities have not yet revealed the identities of the suspect and his mother, along with the motive for the initial murder. Additional details will be disclosed in a forthcoming press conference, according to Capt. Joshua Martinez of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department.
Having lost the primary breadwinner, the Lopez family is grappling with their tragedy. The couple had fostered 12 children since 2017, adopted six of them and had one biological child. The wife, Karen Lopez, wants her husband remembered as a devoted family man- not for the tragic circumstances of his death.