Jose Galdino Lopez Izquierdo, a 25-year-old Hispanic male from Asheboro, North Carolina, was tragically killed on January 13, 2012, in a shooting spree at the McBride Lumber Company in Star, North Carolina. The incident occurred around 6 a.m. when Ronald Dean Davis, a 50-year-old man from Ether, North Carolina, entered the lumber yard and opened fire with a 12-gauge shotgun.
Davis fatally shot three people, including Jose Galdino Lopez Izquierdo, and wounded a fourth victim.
The other victims included Daniel Thomas Davis, a 32-year-old male from Star, North Carolina, who was the gunman's cousin, and Eusebio Diaz Gomez, a 34-year-old male from Asheboro, North Carolina. The fourth victim, Florentino Tellez Aparicio, a 21-year-old male from Candor, North Carolina, survived the shooting and was hospitalized in stable condition.
Ronald Dean Davis, the perpetrator, was found shortly after the shooting with a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head at his small cabin on Telegraph Lane, about a mile away from the lumber yard. He was airlifted to UNC Chapel Hill Hospital but died the following day. Authorities discovered a six-page handwritten note at Davis' home, which was described as vague and rambling. The note mentioned that Davis felt paranoid and believed that other employees, particularly Hispanic workers, were making fun of him.
The investigation revealed that Davis had worked at the McBride Lumber Company for about a decade and had a history of paranoia. His supervisor, Jeff Latham, mentioned that Davis often felt that others were mocking him, especially when they socialized in Spanish. Despite these concerns, the shooting came as a shock to many who knew Davis, including his neighbor, Donald Covington, who described him as a quiet man who enjoyed hiking and hunting.
The tragic incident left the community in shock and mourning. The authorities held a press conference to provide more information about the shooting and the victims. The investigation into the motive behind the shooting continued, but the contents of Davis' note did not provide a clear explanation for his actions.
