Firearms Owners Against Crime
Institute for Legal, Legislative and Educational Action
Institute for Legal, Legislative and Educational Action
A person previously arrested in connection to the fatal shooting of a man and the “unintended” wounding of a 17-year-old who was passing by during an altercation will not face charges, authorities said Wednesday.
The area of Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue near 12th Street in Long Beach is seen in a Google Maps Street View image.
The shooter, identified only as Bryant U., was detained Aug. 13, 2019, on suspicion of fatally shooting 25-year-old Ruben Lopez and wounding a teenager, the Long Beach Police Department said in a news release.
He was later released from custody after investigators determined he was acting in self-defense when he fired his weapon during an altercation with Lopez on July 1, 2019, according to authorities.
Bryant U. was with two other men when they were confronted by Lopez and his relative at around 8:40 p.m., police said.
“Lopez initiated a physical altercation with a member of the group, then turned toward Bryant. Bryant then discharged his firearm and struck Lopez, resulting in his death,” police said in the news release.
Police said the 17-year-old victim was an “unintended target” who was walking across Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue near 12th Street at the time of the shooting.
The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office determined that Bryant U. acted in self-defense two days after his arrest and charges were not filed, police said.
Authorities did not release the man’s full name to protect his safety and privacy, according to the department.