LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — Close friends have identified the woman and man who died in a shooting Thursday in front of a home in central Las Vegas.

The woman was identified as 34-year-old Karen Gotidoc Lopez and the man, her ex-husband, was identified as Fernando Lopez. The shooting happened afternoon outside a home on Silver Saddle Street, near Desert Inn Road and Eastern Avenue.

Metro Police’s initial investigation led them to believe the incident was random, but roommates of Karen Gotidoc Lopez tell a different story.

Karen’s close friends say she lived across the street from where the shooting occurred, but Metro Police said Fernando, Karen, and their 4-year-old child arrived in a vehicle and parked in front of a home located in the 3200 block of Silver Saddle Drive. They exited the vehicle and Fernando began threatening Karen while holding a gun, so Karen walked towards a neighbor and asked him to hold her child.

“The lady out of sheer desperation knocked on that door for strangers to help her,” said Trecia Scott, neighbor.

Fernando and Karen continued to argue at which point a second resident came outside to help diffuse the situation. The neighbor who had the child went and retrieved a firearm. The argument escalated, and the Fernando shot Karen, before firing towards the neighbor and the second resident.

The second resident was struck, and the neighbor returned fire, police said.

It’s not clear if the neighbor shot Lopez or he died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

But neighbors say Karen has lived in the area for about a year.

“I’ve seen her a couple of times outside like cleaning,” Scott said. “Physically I never talked to her, but I did see her.”

Scott was outside watching the aftermath of the deadly shooting.

“Neighbors were traumatized, but nobody can be traumatized like that child,” Scott said.

She snapped photos of police trying to comfort the young boy in front of her home, after seeing both of his parents die right in front of him.

“That’s his coloring book and little stuffed animal, colors, and stickers,” Scott said as she pointed to it laying in the grass.

Karen’s roommates have a different account of what led up to the shooting. They say Karen went inside the home after the two fought, and Fernando drove away, but he returned roughly 30 minutes later with their 4-year-old child.

Karen’s friends think she went outside to the car, and that’s when the two got into another fight before Fernando shot and killed her.

“It was just the heartbreak of; like I said the child knowing his parents were laying dead two doors down,” Scott said.

The neighbor survived the shooting and is expected to be ok.

Court records show Karen and Fernando married in 2015 and divorced last year. Their child has been placed with child protective services.

