In the early evening of June 4, 2024, a tragic shooting occurred at the Tienda Los Hermanos grocery store on Troy Highway in Montgomery, Alabama. Romero Lopez, a 43-year-old Hispanic male, was at the store, which was owned by his sister, along with his 20-year-old son, Daniel Lopez, and a 50-year-old family friend, George Elijah Jr. The shooting, believed to have happened during an attempted robbery, resulted in the deaths of all three men.
When Montgomery Police Department officers and paramedics arrived at the scene around 9 p.m., they found Daniel Lopez and George Elijah Jr. had already succumbed to their gunshot wounds. Romero Lopez was discovered with life-threatening injuries and was quickly transported to a local hospital for medical attention. Despite the efforts of medical personnel, he later died from his injuries. The incident was part of a series of robberies that appeared to be targeting Latino-owned businesses in the Montgomery area.
Following an investigation into the triple homicide, law enforcement identified a suspect. On July 2, 2024, 18-year-old Jarques Butler was apprehended by police after a brief foot chase. He was subsequently charged with two counts of capital murder, with a third count expected to be added. Butler is currently being held at the Montgomery County Detention Facility without bail. The community and local officials expressed their shock and sorrow over the violent incident, with a significant reward being offered for information leading to an arrest prior to Butler's capture. Even after the tragic event, the grocery store was victimized again when it was burglarized, and a donation jar for the Lopez family was stolen.
