Teen who killed 17-year-old at DeSoto County Fair sentenced to life in prison

ARCADIA, Fla. — A DeSoto County judge sentenced Ryan Watson Jr. to life in prison for the murder of 17-year-old Daniel Rodriguez Lopez. He will serve at least 25 years for second-degree murder, and his case will be up for review after that's served because he was a juvenile when the crime was committed.

Watson, 15 at the time of the murder, shot and killed Lopez at the DeSoto County Fair in February 2023.

According to the police report, Lopez's mom told detectives he had been having issues with people at school prior to the shooting. One of those people was Watson. The report says Watson was part of a gang, according to several tips.

A fight broke out at the fair in front of hundreds of people, before Watson shot Lopez in the chest, killing him.

Watson was charged with second-degree murder and carrying a concealed weapon.

In December 2024, a jury found Watson guilty on both counts.

For the gun charge, he was sentenced to 20.8 years in prison. However, this sentence will also be up for review in 15 years. The sentences will run consecutively, meaning one at a time.