In a quiet Salt Lake City neighborhood, the life of eight-year-old Xavier Gabriel Lucero-Waters, a White male, was tragically cut short on July 26, 2016. Described as a big kid with a "tender heart," Xavier was known for his love of dressing up as Star Wars characters and his imaginative Play-Doh creations. He was a sweet, vibrant, and energetic boy who excelled in science at Jackson Elementary School and had a deep love for his family, friends, and even the neighborhood cats.
The
devastating event unfolded in their apartment at 561 N. Center, where Xavier's father, 46-year-old Moses Waters, took his son's life before taking his own in a horrific murder-suicide. The weapon used was described by police as an "improvised firearm." The boy's mother was present in the apartment during the incident and made the emergency call to the police shortly after noon. When officers arrived, they found both Xavier and his father deceased.
The tragedy was not without warning signs. Moses Waters had a documented history of domestic violence, substance abuse, and mental health issues. Court records revealed a prior conviction in 2014 for burglary, with charges of aggravated assault and domestic violence in the presence of a child being dismissed as part of a plea bargain. In a particularly alarming incident two years prior to the murder-suicide, Waters had held his wife hostage with a knife to her throat. He was subsequently arrested and served six months in jail, after which he wrote to a judge claiming he was addressing his mental health issues with medication and counseling for the first time. Despite these interventions, the underlying issues tragically culminated in the loss of a young, innocent life. The suspect in Xavier's death was his father, who died by suicide at the scene, so no arrests were made.
