As previously reported by REVOLT, on May 12, 46-year-old Gonzalo Lopez escaped while being transported to a maximum-security prison in Texas. The inmate pulled off the getaway by stabbing a corrections officer.

Lopez was serving a life sentence after being convicted of capital murder when he escaped. Schools and businesses in the area were immediately placed on lockdown and a manhunt began.

After being on the run for nearly a month, late last night (June 2), the prisoner was killed in a shootout with law enforcement.

Only hours before the deadly interaction, Lopez was named as a prime suspect for killing a family of five in a home in Leon County, Texas. Of the five, there were four children and one adult.

During a news conference last night, Jason Clark of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice said that the suspect left the crime scene in a truck, but officers were able to stop him using a spike strip. After he crashed, Lopez began to engage in gunfire with law enforcement.

Clark said, “He fired several rounds at officers and was armed with an AR-15 and a pistol.” He added that the weapons were possibly stolen from the deceased family and that no officers were injured during the dangerous altercation.

At the time of the escape, Robert Hurst, a spokesperson for the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, said, “He’s got a life sentence for a capital murder, where he killed a man with a pickaxe and he’s also gotten an attempted capital murder conviction for shooting a gun at a police officer.” The inmate was described as “very dangerous” and allegedly had ties to the Mexican Mafia.

Before his death, Lopez was on the 10 Most Wanted Fugitives List for Texas. There was a $50,000 reward for information leading to his arrest.