On the evening of February 18, 2016, in South Salt Lake, Utah, a violent encounter inside a Ford Explorer tragically cut short the life of 19-year-old Raul Lopez. The vehicle, which had come to a stop in the middle of the road at 325 E. Park Creek Lane, became a crime scene where Lopez, his 20-year-old brother Angel Lopez-Salinas, and their 17-year-old friend Armando Cuenca-Curiel were all shot.
When authorities arrived after receiving reports of gunfire, they discovered a grim scene.
Angel Lopez-Salinas was in the driver's seat, his younger brother Raul was in the rear passenger seat, and Cuenca-Curiel was in the cargo area. All three had been shot. Cuenca-Curiel was pronounced dead at the scene from a gunshot wound to the chest. Both Raul and Angel Lopez-Salinas were found with gunshot wounds to the head and were transported to a hospital, but they succumbed to their injuries in the following days. Inside the vehicle, investigators found a semi-automatic pistol, shell casings, marijuana, brass knuckles, and multiple cellphones.
The investigation quickly led to a fourth individual who was also inside the SUV during the incident, 19-year-old Gerald Radckiff Grant. Grant had also sustained a gunshot wound to his thigh. Witnesses reported seeing a male, believed to be Grant, limping away from the Explorer and talking on a phone before being picked up by a car. He later sought treatment at a local hospital, more than two hours after the shooting.
Grant was arrested on February 22, 2016, and subsequently charged with three counts of aggravated murder. He claimed that he shot the three individuals in self-defense, alleging that they were attempting to rob him and had started to assault him inside the vehicle. According to court documents, Grant had arranged to meet the victims to purchase marijuana. He stated that during the encounter, he was attacked and shot in the leg, at which point he pulled out his own gun and shot the other three occupants of the SUV. After fleeing the scene with the help of associates, Grant's girlfriend eventually drove him to the hospital.
