Las Cruces woman killed while trying to stop son’s possible suicide attempt
UPDATE (June 3, 2026) -- Lopez told police he had been taking methamphetamine and had paranoid thoughts before the shooting, according to documents ABC-7 obtained.
Before the shooting, Lawrence Lopez, his mother, Tina Lucero, and other family members went out for dinner, documents said.
When they got home, Lopez' brother said Lopez had recently been using methamphetamines and had become increasingly paranoid, according to documents. He reportedly believed people, vehicles and drones followed him, documents said.
According to documents, Lopez admitted to authorities he used methamphetamines and thought he was being followed. Documents said Lopez also thought people hacked his phones.
Lopez reportedly expressed his worries about being followed and other issues while he was at home with his mom, documents said. He told authorities he wanted his family to believe him but "did not feel as if they did."
He told authorities he sat in a shed and felt he was "just like dying," according to documents.
Lopez then asked his mom why she wouldn't believe him, to which she said she did. Documents said he didn't believe her.
He then reportedly made threats about killing himself, documents said. She later walked off and said she needed air "to get away" from Lopez.
Lopez allegedly followed his mother to the front door of the house and said, "I'm gonna make you remember this for the rest of your life."
He then allegedly pulled out a gun, and his mother tried to grab it from him, documents said.
The gun fired while the two fought over it, according to documents.
Lopez noticed he shot his hand but also saw blood on his mother's shirt. He reportedly called 911, documents said.
He also called his brother and said, "the gun went off and hit mom," documents said.
Officers went to the home and found Lopez with a handgun. Documents said an officer told him to drop the gun and arrested him.
Lucero had a gunshot wound on her chest, according to documents. Her other son tried giving her CPR. She died at the scene.
Lopez went to a medical center for the wound on his hand, according to documents.
UPDATE (5:31 p.m.) -- Police charged 32-year-old Lawrence Lopez with one count of involuntary manslaughter, which is a fourth-degree felony. The woman shot and killed Wednesday was his mother, according to LCPD.
Police identified his mother as 58-year-old Tina Lucero.
Lucero died after life-saving measures were attempted.
LAS CRUCES, N.M. (KVIA) -- A woman was shot and killed Wednesday and a 32-year-old man was hospitalized after a possible attempted suicide, the Las Cruces Police Department said Thursday.
At about 9:30 p.m., Las Cruces police and fire crews went to a home at Los Ranchitos off Elks Drive after a reported gunshot victim.
First responders found a 58-year-old woman with a gunshot wound, police said. She died to her injuries.
Police said they won't identify the woman until her family has been notified.
Police arrested the 32-year-old man at the home, according to a news release. He had a self-inflicted gunshot wound in his hand and went to a hospital.
Preliminary investigation revealed the man allegedly threatened to commit suicide and pulled out a handgun.
The woman tried to stop him, according to police, and that's when the gun fired, hit the man's hand and killed the woman.
LCPD said the investigation is ongoing and charges are pending. They didn't identify the man.
