As the suspect made his way to the side of the home, two officers fired back and killed Salvador Lopez. Police said he was staying in a shed in the backyard and his first shots tore up the door.
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Someone inside the home called 911 saying she thought he was going to kill them.
Neighbors tell us they were scared for their lives and they also called police, but investigators do not think Lopez was targeting anyone until officers got to the house.
The suspect's mother told us she did not know her son had the high-powered rifle or any of the other guns police found. She knew he was in a gang, but thought he was getting out, so the violence and his death left her dumbstruck.
"But I still-- I wish it was a dream but I can't believe this," said Rachel Rodriguez, suspect's mother.
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Fresno Police Chief Jerry Dyer said, "I hope she can understand our officers needed to protect the neighbors and themselves."
One witness told police she heard Lopez say it was time to end all this before all the shooting. On Facebook, he posted just Monday that he missed his grandmother who died in 2015 and he wished he could be with her.