Officers arrived within minutes, but police said the attack had already turned deadly.
HANFORD, Calif. — A 911 call from a Hanford home captured arguing just before a fatal shooting that left boxer Adrian Valdovinos and suspected gunman Vincent Diaz dead, police said.
The call came from a residence in the 1500 block of University Avenue at about 4:12 a.m. May 3. Police said a man and a woman could be heard arguing in the background. The first officer reached the home, heard an active verbal disturbance and identified himself as police. Moments later, officers heard another gunshot. Investigators later said Diaz, 33, had fatally shot Valdovinos, 25, before turning the gun on himself.
The early minutes of the response remain the clearest public timeline in the case. A disturbance was heard on the 911 call. Officers were sent to the home near University and Stanford avenues. The first officer arrived and announced his presence. Hanford Police Lt. Justin Vallin said two officers went to the front door and saw a man move by a window. “When officers arrived on scene, the first two officers went up to the front door, announced themselves, saw a male walk by a window, and then pulled a gun and shot himself,” Vallin said.
Once inside, officers removed the woman from the residence. Police said she was not injured. Officers then searched the home to make sure no other threat remained and found Valdovinos dead in a bedroom with gunshot wounds. Diaz was also dead at the scene. Police identified him as the woman’s ex-husband. Valdovinos was identified as her current boyfriend. Authorities have not released the woman’s name, the 911 caller’s identity or the full recording of the emergency call.
Detectives said Diaz had forced entry into the home before the shooting. The department has not described the damage to the door or entry point, nor has it said whether Valdovinos was awake, asleep or trying to leave when he was shot. Police have said the full chain of events inside the house happened quickly. Vallin said the entire incident took less than 10 minutes. That brief span covered the argument, the emergency call, the shots, the arrival of officers and Diaz’s suicide.
The case did not begin and end at the front door. Police said Diaz had taken steps before the attack that are now part of the investigation. He arranged for someone to watch his child, parked his car about 100 yards away and walked to the residence with a high-capacity firearm, investigators said. Diaz was a convicted felon and was barred from having a gun. Detectives have not said whether the gun was legally bought by another person, stolen or obtained through some other route.
Local reporting showed that the household had been under strain before the shooting. Diaz and his former wife had been separated since August 2025. Court records showed she requested a restraining order in March involving their child. Police have not released whether any order was active on the morning of the shooting or whether any prior police reports had been filed in connection with the couple. Investigators have also not announced whether threatening messages, calls or other records were found.
Valdovinos’ death was felt strongly in the local boxing world. He was known as a talented young boxer from Hanford and had been listed by boxing outlets with an 8-2-1 professional record. Police said Valdovinos and Diaz had no previous known conflict. That left investigators focused on the relationship between Diaz and his former wife, the forced entry and the choices Diaz made before arriving. The shooting ended the life of a young athlete who had built a name in a demanding sport and remained recognized in his hometown.
Outside the investigative details, neighbors described grief and shock. Craig Avila said the people in the home had once seemed happy and lively. He remembered hearing singing and laughter from the property. Kelly Avila said the neighborhood would feel different after the deaths. Their comments placed the shooting in a residential setting where people heard ordinary family life before they heard about the violence. Police have not said whether neighbors heard the gunshots before officers arrived or whether any doorbell or security camera video was recovered.
The legal process will be limited because the suspected killer is dead. Prosecutors cannot bring a murder charge against Diaz, but police can still finish a homicide investigation. Detectives can collect statements, review court files, test the firearm and document the forced entry. They can also determine whether another person committed a crime by helping Diaz get the gun. Any final report may be used by the department, the coroner and the families to establish an official record of what happened.
The last confirmed public timeline still starts with the 4:12 a.m. 911 call and ends minutes later with two men dead. Police have not released the call recording or a final investigative report.
Author note: Last updated Tuesday, May 26, 2026.