Suspect arrested 8 months after deadly shooting in Phoenix

PHOENIX – An arrest was made last week in connection with a deadly shooting in Phoenix eight months ago, authorities said.

Paul Lopez Jr., 37, was shot on May 5, 2024, near 51st Avenue and Indian School Road, according to the Phoenix Police Department.

Officers responded to the scene around 11:30 p.m. after a caller reported that shots were fired and multiple people ran away.

Lopez was found in the roadway with multiple gunshot wounds and rushed to a hospital in extremely critical condition. He died the next day.

At the time, detectives learned that the victim was in a verbal argument with two people before the deadly shooting.

How did police find suspect in deadly shooting?

Investigators used physical evidence, video surveillance and witness testimony to identify 25-year-old Raymond French as the suspect.

An arrest warrant for French was issued after a grand jury indicted him on one count of second-degree murder.

French was located Friday in Chandler during an unrelated investigation and booked into jail on the outstanding homicide warrant. His bond was set at just over $1 million, according to county jail records.

The Gila River, Chandler and Mesa police departments, along with the FBI, collaborated with Phoenix PD on the case.

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