Louisville man sentenced 30 years for deadly shooting of photographer during 2020 protests

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WAVE) - In court Tuesday, a Louisville man was sentenced for the deadly shooting of a photographer during the 2020 protests.

In January, Steven Lopez pled guilty to 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.

Gerth’s mother asked one of her daughters to speak for her today in court, saying she couldn’t emotionally be there.

“He was taken from us in an act of violence,” “Brittany Lowen said. “He has left a scar on our hearts and our family. The grief is immeasurable. The pain is unfathomable. Despite being in personal therapy and group therapy to help me figure out my life without Tyler and how to live each day, hour with so much pain Everyday I wake up with the agony of knowing that Tyler’s life was cut short, and I am haunted by the fact that he is no longer here with us.”

Lopez said he was on drugs and hallucinating when he shot Gerth.

“To be the cause of the beautiful families grief and suffering brings me great sadness that I think about every day,” Lopez said.

He also said he hopes to help the family find closure.

“I must apologize to them and most of all the Gerth family,” he said. “I know that there are so many questions that this family has. I want to answer whatever I can for them, to bring whatever closure I can. I hope that if they can, they will reach out to me to learn more about what type of person Tyler was his likes his passions, and what drove him as a man I aspire to live up to his likes and passions whatever they are.”

PREVIOUS COVERAGE:

• Louisville man pleads guilty to deadly shooting of photographer during Breonna Taylor protests
• ‘He was like my actual brother’: Teen explains how Tyler Gerth changed his life
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