In the quiet city of Saint George, Utah, the life of 18-year-old Skyler Armstrong, a White/Caucasian male, was cut tragically short on August 14, 2019. A recent graduate of Desert Hills High School, Skyler was at a residence located at 252 N. 2700 East with several other individuals, including some juveniles, on that fateful evening. What began as a gathering of acquaintances would end in a senseless act of violence that would leave a community in mourning and a family forever changed.
Police were called to the home around 6:50 p.m. following a report of shots fired. Upon arrival, they found Armstrong with a gunshot wound to his head. He was rushed to a local hospital, but his injuries were too severe, and he was placed on a ventilator until his family could say their final goodbyes. Initially, those present at the scene, including the residents of the house, 31-year-old Nicanor Vasquez-Mendoza and his 26-year-old girlfriend, Silvia G. Lopez, attempted to mislead investigators. They claimed that they were all looking at their phones when Armstrong suddenly shot himself. Lopez had reportedly instructed the other witnesses to stick to this story.
However, the forensic evidence quickly began to unravel their fabricated account. Investigators noted that Armstrong was right-handed, yet the gunshot wound was to the left side of his head, an inconsistency that immediately raised red flags. Furthermore, no firearm was found at the scene, which would be highly unusual in a self-inflicted shooting. As the investigation deepened, witnesses began to change their stories, painting a grim picture of the events that had transpired in the bedroom. They revealed that the group had been discussing guns when Vasquez-Mendoza, who had been smoking methamphetamine, pulled out a revolver.
In a horrifying display of recklessness, Vasquez-Mendoza reportedly removed all the bullets from the gun, reinserted a single round, and spun the cylinder in a game of Russian Roulette. He first pointed the gun at the ground and pulled the trigger, but it did not fire. He then aimed the weapon at one of Armstrong's juvenile friends, who later told police he was terrified he was about to be shot. Finally, Vasquez-Mendoza turned the gun on Skyler Armstrong and pulled the trigger again. This time, the chamber was not empty, and the single bullet struck Armstrong in the head, inflicting the fatal wound.
Nicanor Vasquez-Mendoza was arrested and faced a litany of charges, including murder, aggravated assault, possession of a firearm by a restricted person, and witness tampering. Silvia G. Lopez was also taken into custody and charged with obstructing justice and witness tampering for her role in the attempted cover-up. In March of 2021, Vasquez-Mendoza accepted a plea deal, pleading guilty to federal charges of possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. He was subsequently sentenced to 20 years in federal prison, bringing a close to a tragic case that highlighted the devastating consequences of reckless behavior with firearms and illegal drugs.
