A verbal dispute at a Phoenix gas station near 51st Avenue and Camelback Road escalated into a fatal shooting on April 13, 2016, leaving 25-year-old Michael Lopez dead. Lopez was an expectant father; his family said he already had six children and another on the way.

Police identified 28-year-old taxi driver Joseph Petty as the suspect and arrested him on suspicion of second-degree murder. Petty told officers Lopez said he had a weapon and was reaching for it before Petty fired, but investigators found no weapon on Lopez or in his car. A passenger with Lopez was also taken into custody on unrelated outstanding felony warrants.

Petty was released from jail 48 hours after his arrest while investigators continued the probe; the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office had requested more information before deciding on formal charges. The family expressed anguish and vowed to keep seeking justice. Does anyone have additional information about Michael Lopez or what happened that night?