Gwinnett County police officers investigate a fatal shooting stemming from an alleged dispute outside a home on Preston Lake Drive in Tucker on October 11, 2026. (FOX 5 Atlanta)
GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. - A 19-year-old man faces murder charges after Gwinnett County police tracked him across the state following a deadly Sunday shooting in Tucker.
Tucker homicide suspect arrested
What we know:
Gwinnett County police arrested 19-year-old Yostin Valentin Lopez Gomez on Monday in connection with a fatal shooting at 1500 Preston Lake Drive. Lopez Gomez faces charges of malice murder, felony murder and aggravated assault.
Flock technology aids search
The backstory:
During the homicide investigation, detectives turned to Flock license plate reader technology to spot a vehicle linked to the crime. Investigators followed the vehicle's trail eastward to the Augusta area.
Deputies with the Richmond County Sheriff's Office assisted detectives by locating and stopping the vehicle. Investigators soon identified Lopez Gomez as the suspect and took him into custody with help from the Columbia County Sheriff's Office.
Gwinnett County Police Crime Scene Investigations units secure a neighborhood street following a deadly shooting connected to a suspected drug dispute on Preston Lake Drive in Tucker on October 11, 2026. (FOX 5 Atlanta)
Gwinnett detectives explore motive
What they're saying:
Detectives believe the people involved already knew each other before the encounter. Authorities noted the shooting stemmed from a previous dispute that may have been drug-related.
The Gwinnett County Police Department extended its thanks to both the Richmond County Sheriff's Office and the Columbia County Sheriff's Office for helping locate and apprehend Lopez Gomez.
Unanswered questions in Tucker
What we don't know:
Officials have not released the name of the victim who died in the Preston Lake Drive shooting. Authorities have also not shared specific details about the nature of the dispute or whether any additional charges could follow.
Police tape and an investigative privacy screen block off the site of a fatal Tucker shooting that prompted a multi-agency manhunt and murder arrest on October 11, 2026. (FOX 5 Atlanta)
Legal proceedings move forward
What's next:
Lopez Gomez remains booked under Gwinnett County police case number 26-0070456. Law enforcement officials have not yet announced court dates or details regarding his formal transfer back to Gwinnett County.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from Cpl. Angela Carter, a public information officer with the Gwinnett County Police Department, who provided case details and arrest records under case number 26-0070456, as well as operational reports involving the Richmond County Sheriff's Office and Columbia County Sheriff's Office.