JOURDANTON, Texas — People in one Jourdanton neighborhood say they are grateful no one else was injured after police shot and killed a convicted killer on the run in their front yards. It happened around 10:30 P.M. Thursday according to police and witnesses.
"It was very loud," said Jamey Colley, who lives just across the street from where the shootout happened. "I'm very thankful I was not where I was gonna be," she said. " I would have been watering the plants and I could have gotten ran over, I could have gotten shot."
Gonzalo Lopez was an inmate who had been on the run for three weeks after escaping from a prison transport bus in East Texas. Authorities believe he killed a man and four of his grandchildren, then stole their truck in Centerville, Texas, just hours before he was killed in Jourdanton.
Jack Garcia said he has lived in Jourdanton for more than 40 years and took pictures of the scene. Garcia said his town is small, quiet, and tight knit.
"This is not something that we like to see, but I’m glad there was enough officers here to stop it from escalating or him going shooting at a house, or a store," Garcia said.
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Colley said she is grateful she was not in the line of fire when the shootout started. One duplex lost power after Lopez crashed into a pole. Friday morning, crews were working to restore it.
In a press release Friday, Jourdanton Police Chief Erik Kaiser said Lopez might have been trying to get to the border.
According to the release, around 10:15 P.M. Thursday, an Atascosa County officer spotted a vehicle matching the description and license plates of one that had been put out by authorities in the Centerville area.
Authorities say officers trailed behind him from a distance to avoid tipping off Lopez that he was being pursued. In the meantime, Jourdanton Police were able to deploy spikes, which disabled the vehicle.
"Lopez entered Jourdanton, lost control of the truck, and hit two utility poles before exiting the truck where he once again began firing at pursuing officers," Chief Kaiser said in the release.
Neighbors tell KENS 5 they heard at least 20 shots before police shot and killed Lopez.
The Texas Rangers are leading the investigation into Thursday night's shooting. Meanwhile, the Texas Department of Criminal Justice Office of the Inspector General is investigation Lopez's escape.