17-Year-Old Killed In Shooting At DeSoto County Fair: Arcadia Police

ARCADIA, FL — Authorities are looking for three people following Saturday night’s fatal shooting of a 17-year-old boy at the DeSoto County Fair, the Arcadia Police Department shared on its Facebook page.

The victim, identified as Danny Rodriguez Lopez, was shot to death after a fight broke out at the annual community event, Lt. Troy Carrillo told Patch. He didn’t say whether Lopez was involved in the fight.

“At this time, we’re currently still investigating (the shooting), and there’s not much information,” he said.

On Sunday, the department released images from a viral video filmed around the time of the shooting.

“We are looking for the person who initially recorded that video and would like to speak to them. We are also attempting to identify three subjects in the video,” the agency wrote on Facebook.

Investigators are looking for a young woman wearing a black jacket and light-colored jeans, a male wearing a light-colored shirt and shorts, and an adult male standing behind them that appears to have a beard, police said.

These three might have “valuable information” regarding the shooting, according to APD.

The DeSoto County Fair closed its midway on Sunday, only hosting its livestock grooming contest at 4 p.m. and the Jr. Miss DeSoto pageant at 7 p.m.

The shows had “extremely limited access to the public with only contestants, exhibitors and family members of such allowed in attendance,” the DeSoto County Fair Association wrote on its Facebook page. There was also increased law enforcement presence for these events.

The fair’s Little Miss (ages 7 to 9) and Princess division (ages 10 to 13) pageants were postponed. A new date for them will be announced once scheduled.

The fair takes place Feb. 3-11 this year.

“Our hearts and prayers go out to the victim’s family and all others involved from the incident last night at the DeSoto County Fair,” DeSoto County Sheriff James F. Potter said in a statement shared on Facebook. “Coming together as a community regularly is important, but even more so during times such as this. If the occasion arises and you can provide comfort or kind words to others who may be feeling anxious, please do so.”

Though the DeSoto County Sheriff’s Office was the agency that initially responded to the shooting, Arcadia police are now lead investigators in the case.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Lt. Carrillo at 863-494-2222.