LAS VEGAS — Officers from two Nevada law enforcement agencies opened fire during a pre-dawn chase through Las Vegas as they tried to stop a man who fatally shot his mother, then stole a police cruiser and carjacked bystanders at gunpoint while trying to evade police, authorities said Friday.
The rampage two days after Christmas left three people dead: The suspect, his mother and a bystander who was on his way to work when he pulled over for the emergency vehicles pursuing the suspect. Jerry Lopez, a 39-year-old father of seven, unknowingly entered the suspect’s path and was killed.
Authorities haven’t yet identified the suspect, his mother or a motive. But on Friday they said a total of five officers fired their weapons during the chase through the suburbs of Las Vegas.
They were Las Vegas police officers Jacob Mekeel and Timothy Brooks. Nevada State Police troopers Martin Moran, Danny Kincaid and Luis Villanueva also opened fire on the suspect, authorities said.
According to police, the officers had shot at the suspect at least twice during the chase but have not said whether the suspect was killed by police gunfire. The suspect has been described by police as a man in his 30s.
The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department is expected to release more information later Friday at a news conference.
Authorities said the deadly crime spree began before dawn Wednesday, when the suspect shot his mother near his childhood home in southeastern Las Vegas. When officers arrived to investigate that shooting, they heard more gunfire and took cover.
In this photo provided by Karen Lopez, she and her husband, Jerry Lopez pose in December 2023. Jerry Lopez, 39, was killed in Las Vegas two days after Christmas while on his way to work in what Las Vegas police say was the final carjacking in a crime spree. Credit: AP
Around the same time, police said, the suspect stole an unoccupied patrol car and fled toward the southwestern edge of the city.
About 8 miles (12.9 kilometers) west of…
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