On Friday, December 1st, a Medford Police Officer on routine patrol near the parking lot of Buffalo Wild Wings heard when gunshots coming from the front of the restaurant at 11:25pm.
Several individuals were seen running to a vehicle and fleeing as the responding officer located a victim lying on the ground next to the front door and immediately began providing medical aid.
The suspect vehicle description and direction of travel were quickly broadcast to other officers and the vehicle was located and stopped the vehicle on Highway 62.
18 year old Joseph Larry Lopez was arrested on charges of Attempted Murder, Unlawful Use of a Weapon and Assault in the First Degree Saturday morning, December 2nd.
Police believe that a confrontation between two groups of people precipitated this shooting in front of Buffalo Wild Wings. The victim in this case remains in very serious condition at a local hospital.
Early Sunday morning, December 3rd, in what the Medford Police Department is reporting is not related to Friday’s shooting incident that occurred at Buffalo Wild Wings, responded to the report of a disturbance with shots fired in the Charles Point apartment complex on Highgate Street in South Medford at about 5:40am.
Two individuals with gunshot wounds were located by first arriving officers in the parking lot near an apartment. Early Sunday evening, both victims, a 26 year old White City man and a 33 year old man from Medford, were pronounced deceased after it was released that one had died at the scene and the other passed away at the hospital.
On Tuesday morning, December 5th, in another incident reportedly unrelated to the other previously reported shootings, Medford Police responded to another report of shots fired at an apartment complex located near North Medford High School, Kennedy Elementary and Abraham Lincoln Elementary Schools, putting these schools into their SECURE protocol.
Multiple agencies, including K-9 and drone units, were on scene searching for the suspect last seen heading east from the apartment complex.
Late Tuesday afternoon, law enforcement agencies concluded the search area in East Medford with the suspect not being located.
The Medford Police Department continues to actively work leads to locate the suspect. The victim is in stable condition at the hospital.
