WEST VALLEY CITY, Utah, March 22, 2025 (Gephardt Daily) — A 26-year-old man was arrested by West Valley City police after he allegedly shot a victim in the neck.
Police were called just before 11 p.m. Friday to an apartment building at 2819 S. High Commons Way after reports of screaming and the sound of shots being fired. According to a witness, a passenger car had left the scene.
Upon arrival at the apartment, police “observed a large amount of blood leading to the residence,” the arrest document states.
A woman at the residence identified Alexander Ernesto Ventura Lopez as being the person involved in the case and, according to the arrest document, Ventura Lopez “had blood on his face and told officers that he was in an altercation with two friends.”
Ventura Lopez originally identified himself by a false name and birthdate. It was later determined that he is an illegal immigrant from El Salvador.
The altercation began inside the apartment, then moved outside when his friends left to get a firearm from their vehicle, Ventura Lopez told police.
While WVCPD officers were on scene, Murray City police called dispatch to report that a gunshot wound victim had arrived at Intermountain Medical Center.
“The person who drove the victim to the hospital informed officers that the victim was shot in West Valley and confirmed that the shooter was (Ventura Lopez). The victim had a single gunshot wound to the neck and was unable to provide a statement due to being intubated. The gunshot wound had punctured the victim’s lung constituting substantial bodily injury as a result of a deadly weapon.”
The witness told officers that, as he neared Ventura Lopez’s residence to pick up the victim, the victim “began walking to his vehicle and (the alleged shooter) pointed a firearm at the victim and began firing.
“The witness said the victim jumped onto the hood of his vehicle and he quickly left the residence as (Lopez) chased them on foot while still shooting.”
Ventura Lopez told police the victim and witness “had attempted to sell him a firearm. (Ventura Lopez) denied buying the firearm and the three of them began to argue.
Ventura Lopez “stated that the two males began assaulting him and while doing so, (he) managed to grab the witness’s firearm from his waistband, firing it two times at the ground. (Ventura Lopez) stated he never fired the gun at the victim, and it was only fired at the ground.”
At 3:18 a.m. Saturday, Ventura Lopez was arrested for investigation of alleged:
- Aggravated assault resulting in serious bodily injury, a second-degree felony
- Possession of a dangerous weapon by a restricted person, a second-degree felony
- Two counts of felony discharge of a firearm, shoot in direction of a person
- Providing false info to a peace officer, a class B misdemeanor
- Intoxication, a class C misdemeanor
Ventura Lopez was ordered held without bail in the Salt Lake County jail system.
