Las Vegas dad of seven young adopted children is shot and killed by carjacker who’d just murdered his own mom: Stricken eldest son, 11, keeps texting dad’s phone to tell him he loves him

A Las Vegas father of seven young adopted children was shot dead by a car thief who had just killed his own mother.

Jerry Lopez, 39, a driver for a medical company, was on his way to work early Wednesday morning when he was shot and killed after his white van was vandalized.hijacked in the southwest valley, authorities said.

The suspect, who has not been named and is only described by police as being in his thirties, was involved in several carjackings after an argument with his parents in which he also shot his mother.

He was shot dead during a shootout with police, officials said.

Lopez, whose children ranged in age from 3 to 11, was recently promoted and celebrated his 13th year as a U.S. citizen.

The white van Jerry Lopez was driving before he was shot and killed early Wednesday morning

Lopez's distraught wife, Karen Lopez, said she broke down when she heard the news about her husband of 13 years, saying: 'No… no… this isn't real'

Lopez's distraught wife, Karen Lopez said Fox5 News Vegas that her husband had just left for work and was about four minutes down the street from their home, and most likely stopped because he saw the police cars coming down the street.

“The guy just walked up, shot my husband and threw him out of the car, ran him over and took our car,” Karen said.

She said she went looking for her husband when he never showed up for work. She was then told by the officers that the van was hers. The man who was driving was involved in the chase and the shootout the suspect had with the police.

Karen said she and her husband raised eight of their children through the Clark County foster care system and loved being fathers.

“He just came home from work, threw his stuff down, didn't even change clothes and just jumped into the chaos of our day, rolling around on the floor, playing with the kids,” she told 8News Now.

“All the kids always shouted, 'Daddy's home!' as soon as they heard the garage rise.”

She said that when she had to share the heartbreaking news that Dad was gone, she said that their oldest child, who is 11, jShe “kept texting” her husband's phone.

He said, “Mom, I know he won't answer, but I just – hopefully he can still read them and I want him to know that I love him.”

And he said, 'I think I'm going to have to be a father to all the babies now,'” Karen said.

a GoFundMe was founded to help the family during this traumatic time. As of Friday afternoon, more than $190,000 was raised toward the $300,000 goal.

She said her husband had just found out he had been promoted and they were having a big Christmas this year, saying 'we were able to spoil the kids like we've never done before'

At a news conference earlier this week, Metro Homicide Police Lt. Jason Johansson said, “This was not a random act, what happened here.”

“There's a direct family connection to that,” he said.

The first incident in which the suspect's mother was killed occurred near the 7500 block of Placid, where the road enters a car wash.

Johansson said, “The suspect was our suspect who was in the wash, who is our shooter and he was at the home of his family late last night, who he knows in this area. very good.'

'W“When those gunshots went off, his mother and father drove down here looking for their son and drove to the wash house,” he said. “The son shot at them and hit his mother.

He said when officers cleared the laundry room, they saw the suspect's mother, who police said was in her 50s, was dead.

Around 3:46 a.m. Wednesday morning, Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMP) officers were dispatched to an area near Placid Street and Maulding Avenue.

The officer responded to reports of an illegal shooting reported by multiple residents who heard gunshots, LVMP said in a press release.

When officers arrived, they heard shots coming from an unknown direction.

While searching the area, they spotted an unoccupied police car that was struck by gunfire.

Officers then saw a man get into the police car and flee the scene. Officers pursued the suspect who abandoned the car in the 7300 block of South Durango Drive.

The suspect then carjacked a person at gunpoint and fled in his truck. As police continued the chase, the The suspect then fled to the 8500 block of Blue Diamond Road, where he abandoned the stolen truck.

After he exited the truck, police said he attempted to carjack another person in an SUV. When the suspect pointed a gun at the citizen, LVMPD officers discharged their weapons.

The suspect managed to escape and fled in the SUV.

As officers continued their pursuit, the suspect abandoned the SUV and carjacked a civilian in a van in the area of ​​Durango Drive and Windmill Lane.

Officials said they witnessed the suspect take the injured civilian out of the van after hearing a gunshot.

LVMPD officers and Nevada State Police officers began shooting at the suspect's vehicle as he fled.

Emergency services were called to the area where the man in the van was shot, but he was pronounced dead at the scene.

The man was later identified as Jerry Lopez.

The assailant was still armed and drove the van around Durango and Agate Avenue. When SWAT and crisis negotiators arrived on scene, they found the suspect had been injured.

When medical personnel arrived, they confirmed the suspect was dead.

Officials said no officers were injured in the shooting.

According to the LMVPD, this is the ninth officer-involved shooting in 2023. The identities of the officers involved will be released after 48 hours, according to the release.

A public information officer with the LMVPD told DailyMail.com on Friday that the Clark County Coroner's Office will release the names of the deceased once next of kin have been notified.