Cellphone video of deadly Pasco highway shooting led to teen’s murder charge

The passenger in a car chase that ended in a deadly shooting on Pasco’s Interstate 182 captured it all on video, court documents show.

The cellphone footage, slowed down into segments, helped Pasco detectives identify who was holding the gun when Antonio L. Huizar was shot in the head as he drove west on the highway.

Huizar, 18, died five days later.

Now, a 17-year-old rival gang member is locked up on $1 million bail for allegedly firing five or six shots into Huizar’s black Toyota Celica.

Cannon Lopez was the front passenger in the second car, a Honda that had pulled parallel to the Toyota on the interstate near the Argent Street overpass.

It was not disclosed in documents if the intended target June 4 was Huizar or his own passenger.

Premeditated murder

Lopez is charged in Franklin County Superior Court with premeditated first-degree murder while armed with a gun.

While Lopez is being held in the juvenile detention center because he just turned 17 in April, the case was filed in adult court given the fact it is a violent felony and he is is over the age of 16.

The Pasco teen was arrested late Wednesday and made his first appearance Friday in court.

According to court documents, it all started about 5 p.m. June 4 with three vehicles chasing Huizar’s Toyota near downtown Pasco. Once the Toyota got on the highway heading toward Road 68, only one car was still following.

Huizar’s passenger later drew a map of the chase route for detectives, who were able to pull video surveillance from a gas station at Fourth Avenue and Court Street.

That footage clearly showed a Honda with two male occupants chasing the Toyota, documents said.

The Toyota passenger said once they were on the highway, he noticed the Honda swerve towards them on the driver’s side and then heard “pops.” He saw Huizar was bleeding and realized he had been hit.

The Toyota came to a stop on the highway.

Caught on camera

Police closed down the westbound lanes for four hours while they investigated. Three shell casings were found along the roadway, but no guns.

Huizar was in intensive care at Kadlec Regional Medical Center for several days before dying June 9.

His passenger let police download his cellphone. They found a video of the shooting, including clear images of Lopez with a gun in his hand and “clear side profiles of the driver’s face,” court documents said.

Huizar’s window was down when the Honda pulled up next to him. Documents state he yelled, “What’s up, bro? What’s up, mother f-----?” and “Let’s get this s--- n---a.”

Detective Julie Lee wrote in court documents that Huizar did not have a weapon in his hands, which he occasionally lifted off the steering wheel while talking.

After the gunshots, the passenger’s camera is obstructed but he can be heard asking Huizar if he is OK, documents said.

Lee wrote that she compared the shooting footage with a picture of Lopez and believed them to be the same person. Another officer also identified Lopez from the footage, not knowing that is who detectives were focusing on.

Following his June 10 arrest, Lopez allegedly admitted to his involvement but did not say who was the target.

This story was originally published June 14, 2020 at 1:54 PM.