Today, the Tarrant County District Attorney’s Office publicly thanked the Arlington Police Department after a case that prosecutors say started with drug-fueled paranoia and ended with bullets in a neighbor’s living room. The defendant, 55-year-old Mike Lopez, was convicted of deadly conduct with a firearm after what prosecutors describe as firing more than 16 rounds while high on methamphetamine. He received a 35-year prison sentence in June 2025. Prosecutors also credited Assistant District Attorneys Alex Rhee and John Kleinwachter, along with investigator Brian Johnson, for their work on the case.
In a post via Tarrant County DA, the office wrote, “Thanks to the Arlington Police Department for their work on this case and their commitment to keeping our community safe.” The message accompanied a short rundown of the prosecution and fit neatly into the DA’s now-familiar pattern of publicly praising partner agencies when cases end in conviction. Tarrant County DA Office records show the office frequently posts similar updates after sentencings.
Prosecutors’ account
According to prosecutors’ filings and the DA’s public summary, Lopez “admitted using meth for four days” in the lead-up to the shooting and was experiencing drug-induced paranoia when he opened fire. The office says he discharged more than 16 rounds into an occupied neighboring living room, conduct they charged and tried as deadly conduct with a firearm. Tarrant County DA highlighted those details in its social media post about the case.
Legal implications…