Brandon Arguello Lopez, a 30-year-old Hispanic male from Casper, Wyoming, died in the early hours of February 2, 2024, following a fatal shooting that occurred the night before. Police responded to a report of an unconscious man around 8 p.m. on February 1 in the 1500 block of West 15th Street. Upon arrival, officers found Lopez lying on the ground with a gunshot wound to the head.
Emergency responders attempted life-saving measures, and Lopez was transported to a local hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries at 3:40 a.m. the next day.
The Natrona County Coroner confirmed that Lopez had been shot in the head and ruled the death a homicide following an autopsy. The investigation was initially cautious, with police withholding details due to the complexity of the scene and the need for thorough processing. Authorities emphasized that the incident appeared isolated and posed no ongoing threat to the public.
Further developments revealed that the shooting occurred during a drug deal gone wrong. Rajion Lee Vu, a 26-year-old Casper native, was later arrested and charged in connection with Lopez's death. Vu was sentenced to 12 to 18 years in prison for manslaughter. Testimony during the trial indicated that Vu had arranged to sell marijuana to Lopez, who had sent a location pin near the intersection of West 15th and Cottonwood streets. Vu's longtime girlfriend, Angelina Smith, drove him to the meeting spot and witnessed suspicious figures nearby before Lopez entered the vehicle.
Smith testified that Lopez appeared agitated and made alarming statements, including claims that he had a gun and intended to shoot them. She said Lopez and Vu exited the vehicle, and moments later, she heard three gunshots. Lopez was shot in the back, with the bullet traveling through his spinal column and lodging in his brain. He was found lying on top of a box containing individually wrapped packages of marijuana. Toxicology reports indicated Lopez had amphetamines in his system.
During sentencing, prosecutors argued that Vu acted out of anger after being robbed of a few hundred dollars' worth of marijuana. The defense maintained that Vu responded to a perceived imminent threat. Despite conflicting accounts about whether Lopez was armed, the court concluded that Vu's actions warranted a manslaughter conviction.
