By Ken Magri
On the night of December 3, Chico suffered its second murder/suicide of the year when the police responded to a call about a shooting on the 1200 block of Warner Street. They found two dead bodies inside the house. Alexandra Wynter, 28, and her boyfriend Anthony Lopez, 33, were residents of record at that address. Wynter had been fatally shot and Lopez died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Lopez was identified the next day by Butte County District Attorney Mike Ramsey as a murder suspect in a domestic violence dispute. If confirmed, this will be the second murder-suicide of a Chico State student this year.
Last April, Athena Passidakis, a 21-year-old Health Sciences major slated for spring graduation was kidnapped at gunpoint by her ex-boyfriend, Alvin Wilson, 25. Wilson killed Passidakis and turned the gun on himself before Chico Police could intervene.
With no further details about the Wynters and Lopez deaths since December 5, Chico Police continue to say the investigation is active and are asking for help.
People who might know anything about this case are being asked to contact the Chico Police Investigations Bureau at (530) 897-5820, or submit a tip in an email to CrimeStoppers USA.
For reference, the case number is 25-8568.
Reactions pour in for Wynter
Wynter was a Biological Sciences major at Chico State University. She began in 2016 as a part-time student while working at Enloe Health. She was slated to graduate this year, according to a statement released by Chico State President Steve Perez.
“During her time in Chico, she served as the community connections director for Community Action Volunteers in Education, was a member of the Black Student Union, and volunteered extensively throughout the community,” Perez wrote.
Professor Nicole Kilian, who taught Wynter’s upper division course on Hematology, was also impressed by her.
“She was a brilliant and driven student,” Killian said in a the same statement. “When I saw her in class and looked in her direction, I always saw an interested and friendly face.”
Perez brought up domestic violence during his outreach, offering phone numbers and websites for anyone who may be a victim of it.
“As we grieve the tragic loss of a member of our campus community, please remember that support is available for anyone who needs crisis counseling,” the college president noted.
On December 11, flags on the Chico State campus were lowered to half-mast in honor of Wynter.
One of the victim’s relatives, Claudia Delgadillo, posted a tribute on Facebook.
“As her aunt, I can share with you that we are beyond heartbroken with losing Alex,” Delgadillo wrote. “She was an incredible young lady. She loved her family and had a zest for life. She worked hard, was dedicated and committed to her studies and had big dreams.”
Wynter was also a volunteer, serving as the community connections director for Community Action Volunteers in Education, or CAVE.
Chico City Councilmember Addison Winslow posted a long statement on social media, saying that he worked with Wynter in the past, and that Wynter and Lopez were his neighbors.
“With tears and much difficulty, I want to share what a wonderful person I knew my friend and neighbor Alexandra Wynter to be,” Winslow reflected. “She passed away in what appears to have been a murder-suicide. This would be the second domestic violence related murder-suicide in Chico this year … In 2020, Alex and I were co-coordinators of a pandemic response mutual aid effort. Alex was intelligent, well-organized, and had warmth and kindness that made her an ideal street outreach worker and balance to my more rugged style of organizing. We worked with dozens of volunteers and built trusting relationships to connect services to hundreds of unhoused people.”
He added, “Working with people in homeless encampments was tough: Alex led with sympathy and compassion and was beloved by everyone we worked with, including but not limited to puppies.”
Wynter and Lopez written about as heroes in 2024
Winslow’s statement also recalled the couple’s selfless actions in a car crash and house fire that happened along Warner Street in 2024.
“One night last year, she was walking with her partner when a driver fleeing a University Police patrol crashed into a house, exploding an oxygen tank and consuming the home and vehicle in flames. While the driver fled, Alex and her partner rushed to the scene, alerted the neighbors to the danger, and rescued two women trapped in the burning car,” Winslow explained. “It was a genuine act of heroism, and it is devastating that their lives have now ended in such a horrible way.”
The Chico Enterprise-Record reported on that 2024 crash and fire, quoting Wynter on actions taken by Lopez to save victims.
“’Anthony was still on the property and was looking for a way to rescue the person on the second story of the engulfed house,’ Wynter said at the time. ‘He was stopped by an officer who said they would have to remove him. The fire department had just arrived and there was an officer present with me and the injured lady.’”
“I have profound reverence for Anthony,” said Wynter in the article. “I truly believe he saved that young lady’s life.”
Who was Anthony Lopez?
Aside from his reported heroism from the 2024 crash and fire incident, little is publicly known about Lopez. His Facebook page appears to have been taken down a few days after the deaths were reported.
A friend named Alex Treuel gave News & Review the following quote about Lopez without addressing the allegations of domestic violence or murder:
“Anthony was a warm, loving, and thoughtful human,” Treul said. “He was an amazing father to his daughter, Jade, and was well-loved by those who knew him,” the source said. “Anthony thrived in creation and found his passion in cooking and painting. He was a compassionate friend and family member who made sure his loved ones felt heard. He always stood up for what was fair and just and ensured no one misrepresented or spoke poorly of his loved ones.”
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