A Maricopa County judge has sentenced a 27-year-old man to 43 years in prison for a 2021 shooting that killed his girlfriend’s father and wounded another family member inside their Avondale home.
Terron Brown was convicted last fall in connection with the fatal shooting of Ricardo Lopez Sr., a case that stemmed from what authorities described as a domestic dispute that spiraled into deadly violence.
The incident unfolded in November 2021, when Avondale police officers rushed to a home near 103rd Avenue and Indian School Road after receiving multiple emergency calls reporting gunfire. Investigators later determined that Brown, who had been in a relationship with a member of the Lopez family, became embroiled in a heated argument with Lopez inside the residence.
During the confrontation, prosecutors said Brown drew a handgun and fired several shots. Lopez was killed at the scene. Another relative who was struck by gunfire survived the attack.
Following the shooting, Brown fled the neighborhood with his infant child. Authorities located and arrested him a few hours later near 104th Avenue and Indian School Road. At the time of his arrest, he was still in possession of the child and the firearm used in the shooting, according to court records.
A jury ultimately found Brown guilty of second-degree murder, multiple counts of aggravated assault categorized as dangerous domestic violence offenses, and unlawful discharge of a firearm.
Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell said the sentence underscores the seriousness of bringing a firearm into a domestic conflict.
“No one should have to fear for their safety in their own home,” Mitchell said in a statement, emphasizing that the lengthy prison term reflects both the loss suffered by the Lopez family and the county’s commitment to pursuing accountability in violent crimes.
With the 43-year sentence now imposed, Brown will spend decades in prison for a crime that prosecutors say permanently altered the lives of those inside the Avondale home that night.
