Escaped murderer Gonzalo Lopez, 46, was shot dead by Texas police on Thursday (3 June) after killing a family of five while on the run.
Lopez massacred the family, which included four children, and stole their pickup truck. Atascosa County law enforcement tracked down the stolen truck and disabled it with spike strips before shooting Lopez.
The family’s bodies were found at a cabin in the woods where Lopez was thought to be hiding.
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Police ventured out to the cabin after receiving a call from someone concerned about an elderly relative, who they hadn’t heard back from, a Texas Department of Criminal Justice press release confirmed.
Jason Clark, a spokesman for the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, said: “Law enforcement in Atascosa County located the stolen vehicle, disabled it with spike strips, and gunfire ensued.”
Clark added: "Law enforcement remains on scene and continues to process incident information."
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Lopez had been on the run since escaping from a prison bus on 12 May when he stabbed the vehicle's driver in the hand before running into surrounding farmland.
An urgent manhunt for Lopez was launched and police offered a $22,500 reward to anyone who was able to provide information that would lead to the convict’s arrest.
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Lopez’s escape took place in rural Leon County, Texas. He got free of his restraints before attacking the driver - who was sitting in a caged-off area - with an unknown object.
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There were other inmates onboard, however all remained in their seats and no one else escaped with Lopez.
Police have since confirmed the driver’s wounds were not life-threatening.
Lopez was serving a life sentence after being convicted of capital murder and attempted capital murder.
Speaking after his escape, Robert Hurst, a spokesman for the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, said in a statement: “During the struggle, the bus went off the roadway.
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“When it went off of the roadway, that’s when the inmate went out the door and started fleeing across the pasture.”
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He added that Lopez was last seen on foot wearing his white prison uniform and that the bus was travelling from a prison in Gatesville, where the escapee was being held.
Hurst also urged the public not to approach Lopez if they saw him, saying: "I cannot reiterate enough how dangerous this man is and how the public's help is needed in locating him.
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"If anybody has seen him, if anybody has any reason to believe he's been on their property please contact local law enforcement officials by way of 9-1-1."
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Aisha Nozari