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Brother of teen siblings shot dead in Midvale: ‘I’m just glad they had each other’

Posted at 5:24 PM, Jul 07, 2016
and last updated 2016-07-07 23:22:18-04

MIDVALE, Utah -- Police say 15-year-old April was hugging her 16-year-old brother Jose as she took her last breath, and that fact is not surprising to their brother, Kenny Lopez.

“They loved each other a lot, and they both defended each other’s lives until the very end,” Lopez said of his siblings.

Both siblings were shot after an argument over a T-shirt turned deadly Wednesday night.

“It’s crazy how even your friends can stab you in the back, you know?” Lopez said.

Family members say the young man who came over to confront Abril Izazaga (who also goes by April) about the money she may have owed for a T-shirt was a close family friend. He brought a group of men with him, and when the argument got heated, Jose came out to defend his sister, armed with a knife.

“Someone other than the person confronting the girl fired shots,” said Lt. Lex Bell of the Unified Police Department.

Thursday evening, police said they arrested a suspect they believed to be the alleged shooter. That suspect's identity has not yet been released.

It happened outside a Midvale apartment complex, where the siblings lived with their mother. It’s making neighbors like Bridget Torres uneasy.

“I’m scared because I have three kids, and they come outside and play, and now with all this, it’s crazy,” Torres said.

Jose would’ve turned 17 on Friday, and April would’ve turned 16 next week. Now, instead of two birthdays, the family is planning two funerals.

“I’m just glad they had each other in their last moments," Lopez said. "That makes me a little happier, but I wish they didn’t just have each other. I wish we could’ve all been there for them."

Those who wish to donate to the family to assist with funeral expenses can do so by visiting any Wells Fargo branch and contributing to the Benefit Memorial Fund for Abril Izazaga and Jose Izazaga.