A Las Vegas man is dead after a crime spree that began two days after Christmas. According to the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD), the suspect, who remains unnamed, shot his mother near his childhood home in southeastern Las Vegas at 3:45 a.m. When police arrived to investigate, they heard more gunfire and took cover.
The suspect went on to lead police on a wild car chase, which included stealing a police vehicle and carjacking multiple people at gunpoint. Tragically, one of these victims was Jerry Lopez, a father of seven who was on his way to work when he was shot dead by the suspect. According to reports, the suspect had just killed Lopez when he was fired upon by police.
The suspect was driving a stolen van at the time of the shooting. He had dragged Lopez’s body out of the van and attempted to flee police when officers fired multiple rounds at the stolen vehicle. The van eventually came to a halt at Durango Drive and Agate Avenue, about 11 miles southwest of the Las Vegas strip.
Jerry Lopez is survived by his wife and seven children. Married for 13 years, Karen and Jerry Lopez had fostered 12 children since 2017. Six of the kids returned to their biological parents, but the couple adopted the other six, making their 11-year-old biological son a big brother to two sisters and four brothers.
Karen Lopez described her husband as an amazing father to their kids. “He would just walk through the door after work, throw his stuff down and just jump right in it with the kids, not even taking two minutes to himself,” she said.
It remains unclear what set the suspect off on his deadly rampage. The LVMPD has not provided any further information about the investigation at this time, but the files suggest that the suspect began his crime spree by shooting his mother before embarking on a violent carjacking spree that ultimately led to the death of Jerry Lopez. The community is mourning the loss of a dedicated father and husband, as well as the tragic circumstances that led to his untimely death.