Police identify victims in Montgomery triple murder at grocery store

MONTGOMERY, Ala. — The Montgomery Police Department has officially released the identities of the three victims who lost their lives in a horrific triple shooting at a local Hispanic grocery store earlier this week.

The victims have been identified as 43-year-old Romero Lopez, his 20-year-old son Daniel Lopez, and a close family friend, 50-year-old George Elijah Jr. According to emergency responders, Daniel Lopez and George Elijah Jr. were pronounced dead at the scene from multiple gunshot wounds. Romero Lopez was critically injured and rushed to a local hospital, where he subsequently succumbed to his injuries.

The shooting took place at Tienda Los Hermanos, a grocery store located on the Troy Highway that serves as a vital hub for the local Latino community. While authorities have not publicly detailed the motive, the incident has sparked widespread outrage and fear among Hispanic business owners in the area, who have reported a rise in armed robberies and burglaries targeting their businesses in recent months.

Following a rapid investigation, Montgomery police arrested and charged two 18-year-old suspects, Jarques Butler and DeQundray Danell Savage, in connection with the crime. Both individuals are facing capital murder charges, which carry the possibility of the death penalty or life imprisonment without parole under Alabama law. They are currently being held without bond as the investigation continues.