Vigil Friday will honor Indio's Cpl. Hunter Lopez, a year after his death in Afghanistan
A candlelight vigil will be held to honor Marine Cpl. Hunter Lopez of Indio on Friday, a year after he and 12 other American service members were killed in a suicide bomber attack in Afghanistan.
Lopez, 22, was killed while he and the other Americans helped protect the Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul. The bombing also killed at least 169 Afghans.
Coachella Valley residents paid tribute to Lopez last year with a candlelight vigil, funeral procession and memorial service. Riverside County sheriff's Lt. Tim Brause said at the service that Lopez was among several Marines who saved two girls from being crushed in the crowd at the airport during the bombing.
Lopez's uncle Juan Carlos Lopez shared memories of his nephew.
"There are no words to express how much of a hero my nephew was, not only to his country, but to the entire extended family and friends," he said during the service.
The candlelight vigil on Friday will be from 7 to 8 p.m. at the La Quinta Civic Center Campus.
Previous reporting from Desert Sun staffers Amanda Ulrich and Christopher Damien was included in this report.
Ani Gasparyan covers the western Coachella Valley cities of Desert Hot Springs and Cathedral City. Reach her at ani.gasparyan@desertsun.com.
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Candlelight vigil for Indio's Cpl. Hunter Lopez year after his death
