Maria Julian-Pichardo, a 45-year-old Hispanic woman, was tragically killed in a shooting incident on February 19, 2025, in Kannapolis, North Carolina. The violence unfolded in the parking lot of the Cabarrus County Department of Social Services, where Maria Julian-Pichardo and her 19-year-old daughter, Yamilaine Sosa-Julian, were fatally shot. The suspect, identified as Rafael Lopez, a 51-year-old Hispanic man from Harrisburg, was Maria Julian-Pichardo’s husband.
Authorities confirmed that the shooting stemmed from a domestic violence situation that had been reported earlier in the month.
The incident began around 8:30 a.m. when a Cabarrus County sheriff’s deputy, stationed outside the social services building, heard gunshots and witnessed Lopez fleeing the scene in a vehicle. The deputy immediately called for assistance and pursued the suspect. Kannapolis police and Rowan County deputies joined the chase, which ended in Rockwell, North Carolina. Lopez pulled over in the 1500 block of Lower Palmer Road, where he shot himself. Officers confirmed that he died from his injuries at the scene.
Investigations revealed that the domestic violence case involving Maria Julian-Pichardo and Rafael Lopez had been reported on February 1, 2025. Authorities had removed firearms from their home following the report. On February 6, Lopez was charged with misdemeanor domestic assault and was released on a $5,000 bail. A temporary protective order was issued against him on February 14. Maria Julian-Pichardo and her daughter were at the social services office on the morning of February 19 for a scheduled meeting with a social worker regarding the domestic violence incident. Tragically, their lives were cut short before they could receive further assistance.
Court documents indicated that Lopez had previously attempted to smother Maria Julian-Pichardo, held a gun to her head, and threatened to kill both her and her stepdaughter. The daughter had called 911 during the February 1 incident, and Lopez had reportedly expressed suicidal thoughts to responding officers. Authorities are now investigating how Lopez obtained the firearm used in the fatal shooting, given that weapons had been removed from his home earlier in the month. No social services employees were harmed during the incident. The Kannapolis Police Department and the Cabarrus County Sheriff’s Office continue to investigate the case.
