In the early hours of a Saturday morning in Ellensburg, Washington, the life of 29-year-old Eduardo Lopez-Rios, a Hispanic male, was cut short. On June 7, 2025, just before 2 a.m., the sound of gunshots echoed near the North Alder Street park area, prompting a call to the police.
Responding officers arrived to a grim scene on Chestnut Avenue, where they discovered Lopez-Rios lying on his back, having sustained four gunshot wounds. He was immediately transported to Kittitas Valley Healthcare Hospital, but tragically, he succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead.
Witnesses at the scene quickly identified a suspect, leading to the swift arrest of James Cooper Bell. Bell was taken into custody at the location of the shooting. He later made his first appearance in Kittitas County Superior Court, where a judge found probable cause to hold him for first-degree murder. His bail was set at $1 million.
Reports suggest the fatal confrontation may have been fueled by lingering tensions related to a homicide that occurred in 2024 at a local Jack in the Box. The argument that preceded the shooting is believed to have been connected to this prior incident.
