On April 15, 1984, ten people were killed in a Brooklyn house in what became known as the Palm Sunday Massacre. Four-year-old Juan Lopez was among six children and four adults found shot at close range; most victims were shot in the head and the scene suggested a sudden, unexpected attack. One of the female victims was pregnant, and her unborn child was counted among the fatalities.

Police charged Christopher Thomas in the mass shooting. Prosecutors contended the motive was jealousy after Thomas believed his wife was having an affair with the homeowner, Enrique Bermudez. At trial in 1985 Thomas was convicted on ten counts of manslaughter but acquitted of murder; his defense argued extreme emotional disturbance and drug influence. He was sentenced under the laws then in force to a term that would allow a maximum of 50 years.