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- Jimmy Alexis Lopez, 27, was arrested in connection to a 2016 gang-related killing in Kearns.
- Lopez, a documented gang member, is linked to multiple shootings and violent offenses.
- Police are seeking additional witnesses to assist in the ongoing investigation.
KEARNS — A documented gang member with a violent history is now facing multiple felony charges in connection with the fatal shooting a man in Kearns in 2016.
Jimmy Alexis Lopez, 27, whose moniker is "Savage," was booked into the Salt Lake County Jail on Monday and charged Wednesday in 3rd District Court with murder, a first-degree felony; and five counts of discharge of a gun, a first-degree felony and four second-degree felonies. Lopez was 18 at the time of the shooting.
On July 10, 2016, Marvin Lopez, 24, was shot near 4220 W. 5615 South. He was shot three times and died at a local hospital. Police say Jimmy and Marvin Lopez are not related.
It was the second shooting Unified police officers responded to at that address that morning. The first was at 3:15 a.m. Two shell casings were found in the road, and no one was injured, according to a police booking affidavit. The second was just after 4 a.m. Officers were notified after the second report of shots fired that Marvin Lopez had arrived at the hospital.
Six shell casings and two bullet fragments were found, as well as a "bullet strike in a bedroom wall" of a residence, the affidavit states.
A witness later told police about the two rounds of shots. That witness said several people were attending a party when a car drove by the first time and fired shots into the air, according to the affidavit. When police started to arrive, the witness went back inside the house.
"When the witness went outside again later, they observed a dark car, possibly an Impala or Cavalier, driving down the street. The car drove to the end of the street, turned around and drove past the house again. The witness could see four males inside the car. The witness asked if they were lost, and the males in the car said they were. The witness asked who they were looking for," the affidavit says.
Police say a male in the vehicle claimed he was looking for a particular gang member. At that point, Marvin Lopez said he was from that gang.
"The male in the back seat produced a semiautomatic handgun, and the witness and Marvin started running away. The male fired several rounds before the car drove off. The witness saw that Marvin had been shot," according to the arrest report.
In October of 2022, the Utah State Crime Lab notified detectives that shell casings collected the morning Marvin Lopez was shot matched casings collected at a shooting nine days earlier in West Valley City.
"The firearm used to kill Marvin Lopez was forensically linked to a gang-related shooting nine days prior at a residence a few houses south of (Jimmy) Lopez's residence," the affidavit states.
In that case, two men pulled up to a driveway and asked the victim what gang he was with, then fired 10 rounds at him, according to police. The victim survived.
One of the men believed to be connected to the West Valley shooting was questioned by officers. While going through that man's phone, detectives found text messages and calls with Jimmy Lopez, according to the affidavit.
Investigators also said Jimmy Lopez was arrested on Sept. 21, 2016, for his alleged involvement in another shooting. Police found several videos recorded on his phone between July and September 2016.
"The videos captured Lopez confronting males he apparently suspected were (rival) gang members, asking if they banged. In some of the videos, Lopez could be seen to be holding a handgun, and in at least one video, captured July 5, 2016, Lopez threatened to shoot an unidentified male then racked a firearm," the affidavit states.
Jimmy Lopez was later charged with two counts of attempted murder accusing him of shooting at another vehicle on state Route 201 with two people in the car during the September 2016 incident. But the charges were dropped a short time later when prosecutors were unable to proceed due to problems with witnesses, according to court records.
While searching Jimmy Lopez's phone, investigators also found several Google searches concerning the shootings on July 1 and July 10, 2016, including "a KSL article on the homicide."
Prosecutors note Jimmy Lopez "has multiple felony convictions, including for violent offenses and offenses involving firearms, and has been committed to the Utah State Prison and federal prison." Most recently, he was paroled from the Utah State Prison on Dec. 5, 2023, on drug-related charges. Unified police arrested him on Monday with the help of Adult Probation and Parole.
"We do still have three individuals we are planning to speak to in reference to this case, who were in the vehicle with the suspect, and are asking anyone from the public if this is you or you know these individuals, to please call police and provide us further information in assisting with this case," police said Monday. "The Unified Police Department recognizes that this arrest cannot undo the pain caused by this tragic loss. Our thoughts remain with the family and friends of Marvin Lopez who have endured years of grief and uncertainty. We hope that this development brings them some measure of peace and justice."
Anyone with information is asked to call Unified police at 801-743-7000.
