LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WAVE) – A Louisville man is scheduled to be sentenced after he pleaded guilty to the shooting that killed a photographer during the 2020 summer protests for Breonna Taylor.
Steven Lopez is accused of firing a gun on a group of protestors at Jefferson Square Park one Saturday morning in June, killing 27-year-old Tyler Gerth, who was active in the social justice protests of that year. Gerth died before he could be taken to the hospital.
Video surveillance shows Lopez shooting a firearm into a large crowd of people at the park.
Lopez and arrested and charged with murder and 21 counts of wanton endangerment. The murder charge was later amended down to manslaughter, giving a total of 30 years to serve with the wanton endangerment counts. A guilty plea to the charges was entered on January 3.
Lopez is scheduled to be sentenced on Feb. 13.
Gerth’s family released the following statement in response:
“While nothing will ever bring Tyler back and we will never truly have justice for him being taken from us, it’s an important step for Mr. Lopez to take responsibility for his actions and plead guilty to his crimes. We remain focused on carrying on Tyler’s memory through the works of Building Equal Bridges, the Tyler Gerth Foundation, by continuing in his legacy of compassion and generosity.”
The Tyler Gerth Foundation provides scholarships and grants to individuals and organizations like Big Brothers Big Sisters through fundraisers. To sign up or get more information, click here.
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