Loved ones are devastated after a man was shot and killed by a suspect in San Pedro in an unprovoked attack.
On the morning of July 19, Mardoqueo Gomez Lopez was working with a crew of landscapers outside of a home on the 2500 block of Gaffey Street.
That’s when a suspect in a white sedan crashed into their work trailer that was parked on the street. Armed with a gun, the man opened fire at the landscapers.
“Within a minute [of the crash], they heard the gunshots,” said Blanco Trevino, whose home the landscapers were working on when the shooting happened. “And at that point, they said, ‘Let’s get out of here!’”
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Mardoqueo Gomez Lopez, 21, is seen in a personal photo. (Blanca Trevino) -
Mardoqueo Gomez Lopez, 21, is seen in a personal photo. (Blanca Trevino) -
The suspect’s white sedan crashed into the landscapers’ work trailer in San Pedro before he suddenly began opening fire on July 19, 2025. -
The male suspect was arrested by police after fleeing the crime scene in San Pedro on July 19, 2025. -
Cell phone video from a neighbor captured the male suspect is seen fleeing after fatally shooting Mardoqueo Gomez Lopez in San Pedro on July 19, 2025. -
Cell phone video from a neighbor captured Mardoqueo Gomez Lopez being rushed to the hospital after he was shot by a suspect in San Pedro on July 19, 2025. (Citizen) -
Friends and loved ones set up a makeshift memorial to honor Mardoqueo Gomez Lopez. (KTLA)
Scared for their lives, the crew began running away from the gunman, seeking safe shelter nearby.
While trying to escape, Lopez was struck in the back by gunfire. He was transported to the hospital where he later died from his injuries.
“[The suspect] shot through the trees and shot him in the clavicle,” Trevino told KTLA’s Sara Welch.
Cell phone video captured the frantic scene as the male suspect is seen stepping out of his damaged car and running away after the deadly shooting.
Police arriving at the scene located the suspect shortly after in a nearby yard.
He was only described as a Hispanic man in his 50s. His identity was not released and the motive behind the shooting remains unclear.
Friends and family described Lopez as a hard worker and kind person who worked full-time in the hospitality industry on weekdays and as a landscaper and housekeeper on the weekends to earn extra money.
The other landscapers who survived the shooting are in shock and said they have so many unanswered questions, including what provoked the gunman to open fire that day.
Neighbors were stunned to hear of the deadly shooting, describing the neighborhood as a quiet and safe area.
“For something to happen here, it’s very random and quite frightening because this is not the type of activity that happens in this neighborhood,” Trevino said.
The incident remains under investigation by the Los Angeles Police Department.
As family members continue grieving, Trevino is raising money to help bring Lopez’s remains to Guatemala, where he grew up. A GoFundMe page to help Lopez’s family can be found here.