Vincent Diaz shot Adrian Valdovinos before killing himself as officers arrived, police said.

HANFORD, Calif. — A 25-year-old boxer was shot to death inside a Hanford home May 3 after his girlfriend’s ex-husband forced his way inside, opened fire and then killed himself as police reached the door, authorities said.

Adrian Valdovinos died in a bedroom from gunshot wounds, police said. The suspected shooter, Vincent Diaz, 33, was the ex-husband of the woman who lived at the home and had been separated from her since August 2025. Hanford police said the killing is being investigated as a murder-suicide. The case has drawn attention because police said Diaz appeared to plan parts of the attack before arriving with a firearm he was not legally allowed to possess.

The emergency call came at about 4:12 a.m. from a residence in the 1500 block of University Avenue, near Stanford Avenue and West Grangeville Boulevard. Police said a man and woman could be heard arguing in the background during the 911 call. When the first officer arrived, he heard an active disturbance inside and identified himself as a police officer. Hanford Police Lt. Justin Vallin said the first two officers went to the front door, announced themselves and then saw Diaz move past a window. “He pulled a gun and shot himself,” Vallin said. Officers then entered the home, removed the woman safely and searched the residence.

Inside, officers found Valdovinos dead in a bedroom. Detectives determined Diaz had forced entry into the house before shooting him, police said. The woman, whose name was not released, was not hurt. Police said Valdovinos was her current boyfriend and that Diaz and Valdovinos had no known prior conflict. Investigators said the relationship link was the woman. Authorities have not released a full motive, a detailed timeline of the confrontation inside the home or the number of shots fired before officers arrived. Police said one final shot was heard as officers reached the home, later identified as the shot Diaz used to kill himself.

Police said several details showed Diaz acted with planning before the shooting. Investigators said he arranged for someone to watch his child before going to the house. He also parked his vehicle about 100 yards away and approached the residence with what police described as a high-capacity firearm. The sequence then unfolded quickly. Vallin said the attack, the 911 call, the arrival of officers and Diaz’s death happened in less than 10 minutes. The short window left officers with little time to intervene before Valdovinos had already been shot and Diaz turned the gun on himself.

Court records reviewed by local reporters showed Diaz and his former wife had been separated since August 2025. The woman requested a restraining order in March that involved their child, according to those records. Police also said Diaz was a convicted felon and was not legally allowed to own or possess a firearm. That part of the case remains under review. Detectives are working to determine how Diaz obtained the gun, where it came from and whether anyone else handled or supplied it before the attack. Police have not announced any arrests connected to the firearm.

The killing also shook Hanford’s sports community because Valdovinos was known locally as a young boxer. Boxing reports described him as a super lightweight prospect with an 8-2-1 professional record. Friends, relatives and boxing fans posted tributes after his death, remembering his promise in the ring and his place in the local fight scene. The death of a 25-year-old athlete added another layer of grief for people who knew him through gyms, bouts and neighborhood ties. Police said Valdovinos appeared to be targeted because of the relationship, not because of any known dispute with Diaz.

Neighbors told local television stations the house had once been a place where they heard laughter, music and family noise. Craig Avila, who lived nearby, said the family had seemed happy before the separation. “You used to be able to hear all of them all of the time, singing, and having a great time in the house,” Avila said. Another neighbor, Kelly Avila, said the block would feel different without those familiar sounds. Their comments framed the scene not only as a crime scene, but as a sharp break in the daily life of a residential neighborhood.

The Hanford Police Department said the case remains active. Detectives are reviewing the forced entry, the firearm, Diaz’s movements before the shooting and the earlier court history between Diaz and his ex-wife. No charges can be filed against Diaz because he died at the scene, but investigators may still examine whether any gun laws were violated by others. Police have asked people with information to contact the department’s detective division. Officials have not released a final investigative report or a full account of the woman’s statements to police.

The deaths marked Hanford’s third homicide case of the year, according to local reporting. The number placed the case within a broader year of fatal violence in the Kings County city, though police have not linked it to any other case. The department’s first public statement focused on the 911 call, the safe removal of the woman and the discovery of Valdovinos in the bedroom. Later interviews added the planning details, including the babysitter, the parked car and the firearm. The added facts helped explain why investigators viewed the attack as deliberate.

Detectives have not issued a closing summary, and the official record still depends on findings about the gun, the forced entry and the earlier court history. The case remains open as police complete the final sequence of events inside the University Avenue home.

Author note: Last updated Tuesday, May 26, 2026.