Justice Lopez, 21, was found fatally shot inside her Long Beach apartment on November 22, 2024. Officers discovered her at about 11:42 a.m. in the 900 block of Gaviota Avenue; she had suffered a gunshot wound to the upper body and was transported to a hospital, where she was pronounced dead. The Long Beach Police Department opened a homicide investigation and stated the attack was not believed to be random.

Homicide detectives identified a 17-year-old male Long Beach resident, described in the report as Lopez’s ex-boyfriend, as the suspect. He was arrested on November 26, 2024, in the 6100 block of Orange Avenue on two unrelated no-bail warrants; detectives later processed evidence and pursued leads that tied him to Lopez’s killing. Detectives presented the case to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office on December 2, 2024. The motive remains under investigation.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Homicide Detectives Oscar Valenzuela or Michael Hubbard at (562) 570-7244, or provide an anonymous tip through LA Crime Stoppers. Does anyone in the community have information that could help answer why this happened?