On a summer evening in Round Lake Beach, Illinois, the life of 31-year-old Kevin Rodriguez-Ruiz was brought to an abrupt and violent end. On July 19, 2026, at approximately 9:30 PM, police responded to reports of gunfire in the 1200 block of Sunnyside Court. Upon their arrival, they discovered Rodriguez-Ruiz in the street, suffering from multiple gunshot wounds.
Paramedics rushed him to Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville, but his injuries were too severe, and he was pronounced dead. An autopsy later confirmed that the cause of death was multiple gunshot wounds. A father of two, Rodriguez-Ruiz was a talented auto body expert with a passion for art, music, and restoring vintage cars.
The investigation into the shooting quickly identified a suspect, Juan U. Lopez-Aguayo, a 26-year-old from Round Lake Beach. Investigators learned that the shooting was not a random act of violence. Lopez-Aguayo was the ex-boyfriend of Rodriguez-Ruiz's girlfriend, and the two shared a child. The tragic encounter unfolded when Lopez-Aguayo arrived at the Sunnyside Court residence, ostensibly to provide child support funds. Rodriguez-Ruiz and his girlfriend were sitting in a vehicle when Lopez-Aguayo approached. After Rodriguez-Ruiz exited the vehicle and engaged in a brief conversation with Lopez-Aguayo, the situation escalated with deadly consequences. Without any apparent physical provocation, Lopez-Aguayo allegedly pulled out a handgun and shot Rodriguez-Ruiz several times. The horrific event was reportedly captured by a Ring doorbell camera.
Following the shooting, Lopez-Aguayo allegedly turned the weapon on his ex-girlfriend, pulling the trigger, but the gun failed to fire. He then fled the scene in his vehicle, leading to a police alert being broadcasted across the state. Several hours later, in the early morning hours of the following day, Illinois State Police troopers located and arrested Lopez-Aguayo during a traffic stop on Interstate 57 in southern Illinois, nearly six hours away from the crime scene. He was taken into custody without incident. The subsequent legal proceedings saw Juan U. Lopez-Aguayo charged with two counts of first-degree murder and one count of attempted first-degree murder. During a court hearing, prosecutors argued that he posed a significant flight risk and a danger to the community, and a judge ordered him to remain in custody while awaiting trial. This case presents a tragic story of a domestic dispute that escalated to a fatal shooting, leaving behind a grieving family and a community seeking justice.
