H-E-B shooter convicted of murdering co-worker at Palmview store

A jury has found a former H-E-B employee guilty of fatally shooting his co-worker nine times and injuring others in a 2016 shooting at the San Antonio-based grocery chain. Raul Lopez, a 31-year-old Mission man, has been in custody since November 28, 2016, when he fired 19 shots into a break room at H-E-B in Palmview in Hidalgo County, according to the Brownsville Herald.

Four H-E-B employees were hit by the gunfire.

Lopez, an employee of the Palmview H-E-B at the time, was described as “paranoid” by police, according to Valley Central. A former Palmview police chief stated Lopez was worried the other employees were “out to get him” and that he only intended to scare his coworkers, not injure them.

Mario Pulido, 48, died at the scene of the shooting. The other three were transported to the hospital and survived their injuries.

The jury deliberated for over 10 hours during the last two days of the trial before finding Lopez guilty on Tuesday, March 29. The verdict comes after an almost two-week trial in which Lopez’s defense argued the jury should find him not guilty by reason of insanity.

Lopez was found guilty of murder, three counts of attempted murder, three counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, and one count of attempted capital murder of multiple persons by a jury.

His sentencing is scheduled for April 26, court records indicate.