In the fall of 2018, a 26-year-old man named Mark Lopez was tragically killed in Phoenix, Arizona. The incident, which occurred on October 17, also left a woman injured. Lopez was reportedly trying to act as a peacemaker and de-escalate an argument between two other men when he was fatally shot. Remembered by his loved ones as a loving husband, father, son, uncle, and brother, he was described as the life of the party who brought joy and happiness to those around him.
His sudden death came just days before he and his wife were to celebrate their wedding anniversary.
For nearly eight months, Mark Lopez's family waited for a break in the case. Then, in the summer of the following year, an arrest was made. Phoenix police took 25-year-old Raymond French into custody in connection with the shooting. French was located and arrested at Chandler Regional Medical Center where he was being treated for injuries sustained in an unrelated incident on the Gila River Reservation. The arrest brought a sense of relief to Lopez's widow and family, who saw it as a significant step towards achieving justice for their loved one. His widow expressed her intention to be present at every one of the suspect's court appearances, seeking accountability for the man who she says took her husband from their family.
