Dad of 7 Killed in Las Vegas Carjacking: ‘We Were Supposed to Grow Old Together,’ Mourns Widow – PEOPLE

A woman is mourning her husband and the father of her seven kids after he died in a carjacking in the southwest valley of Las Vegas last Wednesday.

According to the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police (LVMP), authorities were notified around 3:46 a.m. about a shooting near Placid St. and Maulding Ave. They later learned that the suspect, Justin Davidson, 36, was allegedly shooting a rifle in the wash area behind his parents residence.

In a release shared by the police, they reported that Davidsons parents were awakened by the shots and headed towards the wash area. When they approached, Davidson allegedly shot the rifle towards them, killing his mother. His father went to his truck and Davidson allegedly shot at the fleeing vehicle.

LVMP said in its statement that when authorities arrived at the scene, Davidson began shooting at them from a hidden location. They added that he then commandeered a running patrol vehicle and fled the scene.

Davidson ended up on the 7300 block of South Durango Drive after police lost track of him during their pursuit. That was when he abandoned the police vehicle and later allegedly carjacked several citizens in a truck at gunpoint, said the LVMP, which added that those citizens were not harmed.

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The suspect then fled in the stolen truck to the 8500 block of Blue Diamond when he arrived at a gas station and allegedly carjacked another persons SUV, the authorities said.

LVMP added that Davidson, who was in the stolen SUV, then pulled up alongside a van in the area of Durango Dr. and Mistral Ave. He fired into the van, causing it to stop, according to authorities.

When law enforcement arrived at the scene, Davidson exited the SUV and ran to the passenger side of the van allegedly holding a long gun, said the LVMP.They added that Davidson then allegedly shot the van again, entered the vehicle from the passenger side, and pushed the victim out.

Officers fired their weapons at Davidson, who was struck several times and then drove off, per the release.

The victim who was pushed out by Davidson later died at the scene, said the LVMP.

After the van carrying Davidson came to a stop, the suspect did not comply with authorities demand to exit the vehicle, the LVMP said. When there was no further movement in the van detected, law enforcement moved in and Davidson was declared dead.

GoFundMe

The carjacking victim who died was identified as Jerry Lopez, 39, per a GoFundMe page established for his family.

According to the fundraiser description, Lopez was driving to work at the time of the incident. About four minutes up the street from his house, he pulled over after noticing police cars with flashing lights and sirens coming his way.

Upon stopping, the suspect who was fleeing from the police approached Lopez's car and allegedly shot and killed him. Then, he ran over Lopez with the vehicle, leaving the car totaled, per the GoFundMe description.

"Jerry was the heart of our family, and while we cannot bring him back, your support ensures his love and legacy continue to guide us," Jerry's wife, Karen Lopez, wrote on the GoFundMe page, which, as of Monday, raised nearly $400,000.

On Thursday, Karen spoke to Fox affiliate KVVU about the incident. She explained that she found out her husband of 13 years died after going to look for him after realizing he never made it to work.

There were so many people walking around and I just hoping that he was a witness and that they tried to take the car and he was answering questions, and I was praying that was going on, Karen said.

That's when she was told the news. She told the outlet, My stepdad had to catch me because I just collapsed in the middle of the road and kind of passed out because I couldnt handle it. It didnt seem real."

"The guy just walked up, shot my husband and threw him out of the vehicle, ran him over and took our vehicle, she added.

In the interview, Karen also noted how she and Jerry adopted six out of seven of their kids from the foster care system. Their oldest child, she said, is only 11 years old.

She told KVVU that there were kids that needed a home and we had a home. We were supposed to grow old together and raise them together.

She also explained how her husband, a driver for a medical company, recently found out he was being promoted. And because of the promotion, Jerry and Karen had spoiled their kids with presents for Christmas.

"He was just so proud to have a business card with his name and title he was just so proud, Karen shared. He was so happy to be able to start giving them out to his clients obviously I told him I wanted to frame one for him."

According to the LVMP, authorities in their investigation found a notebook with a diagram of a potential ambush situation indicating Davidson was prepared for an armed confrontation with law enforcement.

It added that investigators also discovered tactical equipment, prepper supplies, numerous military manuals, and documents regarding police responses to mass casualty incidents at two residences linked to the suspect.

Authorities said an investigation is ongoing, with the incident being examined by theLVMPD Critical Incident Review Team.

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Dad of 7 Killed in Las Vegas Carjacking: 'We Were Supposed to Grow Old Together,' Mourns Widow - PEOPLE