On the evening of December 23, 2020, in a Springville, Utah home, 43-year-old Hispanic female Victoria Ramirez was shot and killed as she sat at the dinner table with her two youngest daughters, aged 14 and 17. The family was preparing to eat when her 23-year-old son, Mike Lopez, entered the dining room carrying a shotgun.
What unfolded next was a chilling sequence of events. Lopez pointed the shotgun at his mother.
Just before he fired a single shot to her neck, Ramirez reportedly said to him, "I know you're going to kill me, and I love you." The shot was fatal, and she died almost instantly at the table. Following the shooting, Lopez and his 14-year-old sister allegedly began to dance next to their mother's body. The 17-year-old sister fled the room, escaped through a bathroom window, and contacted an older sibling who then called the police.
When officers arrived at the home, they found Lopez in a bathtub in the basement with the shotgun nearby. He was taken into custody and later charged with aggravated murder, domestic violence in the presence of a child, and possession of a weapon by a restricted person. During an interview with police, Lopez reportedly claimed that someone had told him to kill his mother. His 17-year-old sister told investigators that her brother had been acting strangely, meditating frequently and talking about visiting different dimensions. She also mentioned that he and the 14-year-old sister had been spending a lot of time together.
The 14-year-old sister was also taken into custody and displayed strange behavior when questioned by police. She reportedly smiled when asked about dancing after the shooting and did not show any emotion. She admitted to being with her brother when he purchased the shotgun the day before the incident.
