KEARNS, Utah (ABC4) — Almost nine years after a West Valley man was killed in a gang-related shooting, officials announced that a suspect has been arrested and will be booked on charges related to homicide.
Jimmy Lopez — now 26 — was 18 years old at the time of the incident. He was arrested for the death of Marvin Lopez, 24, of West Valley City, according to a press release from the Unified Police Department. Officials told ABC4.com that the victim and the suspect are not related to each other.
“Our thoughts remain with the family and friends of Marvin Lopez who have endured years of grief and uncertainty,” Unified Police said in a press release. “We hope that this development brings them some measure of peace and justice.”
Officials first received a call about an individual in a hospital — later identified as Marvin Lopez — with gunshot wounds around 4 a.m. on July 10, 2016. Another call came in about shots fired near 5415 South 4095 West while officers were en route to the hospital.
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An undated image of Marvin Lopez, who was killed in Utah in 2016. Officials made an arrest related to his death in February 2025. (Courtesy: Unified Police Department) -
An undated image of Marvin Lopez, who was killed in Utah in 2016. Officials made an arrest related to his death in February 2025. (Courtesy: Unified Police Department)
Some officers went to the scene of the second call to search for shell casings while other officers went to the hospital. Marvin Lopez died from his injuries while police were on their way to the hospital, UPD said.
During their investigation, officials received reports of another crime scene near the area where the original call came for shots fired, around 5586 South 4220 West in Kearns. Shell casings were recovered at the scene, and the casings matched those found at another shooting in West Valley a few days earlier.
After continuing their investigation, officials found a witness who identified Jimmy Lopez as the shooter, and the homicide was confirmed to be gang-related, UPD said.
UPD said Jimmy Lopez was taken into custody with the assistance of Adult Probation and Parole. As of Feb. 3, Jimmy Lopez was being interviewed by detectives.
Officials were planning to speak to three more people who were reportedly in the vehicle with Jimmy Lopez at the time of the shooting.
Charges are allegations only. All arrested persons are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
#Arrest #gangrelated #murder #case
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