DES MOINES, Iowa — A district judge sentenced the "leader" of the deadly East High School Shooting to 70 years in prison with the possibility of parole. However, the judge declined the option to impose a mandatory minimum prison sentence, according to the Polk County Attorney's Office.
18-year-old Octavio Lopez Sanchez Jr. pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and two counts of willful injury back in August.
Lopez Sanchez was 17 years old at the time of the March 2022 drive-by shooting on the grounds of East High School.
15-year-old Jose David Lopez was killed in the shooting. Two others were critically injured.
Police alleged that Lopez Sanchez was driving the "lead car" during the incident and instructed a passenger to shoot the victims. Police also said they found three guns used in the shooting in Lopez Sanchez's bedroom.
The prosecution recommended a mandatory minimum prison sentence of 45 years for Lopez Sanchez, saying the punishment fit the severity of the crime.
"The defendant quite literally led the attack," said Assistant Polk County Attorney Jim Hathaway.
Jose Lopez's mother, Deborha Perez, requested a long sentence for Lopez Sanchez.
“I know people talk about forgiveness and supposedly that is what good-hearted people do to be at peace with themselves, but my pain is deep, unable to process forgiving the ones who took my child away," she said.
Jessica Lopez Torres, one of the victims who was shot, claimed she saw no remorse from Lopez Sanchez.
“I hate that I have to go through another surgery this summer because of the actions of you and your friends,” she told him. “It hurts me to see you alive while I am walking like I am crippled.”
However, Polk County District Judge Celene Gogerty found the case did not warrant a minimum sentence, saying, “The mandatory minimum is not applied as a general rule”.
In addition to his sentence of 70 years in prison, Lopez Sanchez is also ordered to pay $150,000 restitution to Jose Lopez's estate.
Ten teenagers were charged in connection to the shooting. Of those, three pleaded guilty to first-degree murder and four, including Lopez-Sanchez, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder.
Two teenagers still face sentencing in connection to the shooting: 16-year-old Nyang Mai Chamdual and16-year-old Alex Perdomo.