Daniel Rodriguez Lopez was a 17-year-old Hispanic male from Arcadia, Florida, known to family and friends as Danny Boi. Described as loving, caring and silly, he enjoyed basketball, fishing, music and spending time with his family; his mother Stephanie Castro and stepfather Pedro Castro recalled how he always made people laugh and lit up a room.

On the night of February 4, 2023, Daniel was at the DeSoto County Fair in Arcadia when a fight broke out and he was shot. First responders found him with a gunshot wound to the chest; he was taken to a hospital and died from that injury. The Arcadia Police Department opened an immediate investigation and, with help from community tips, identified a 15-year-old acquaintance, Ryan Watson Jr., as the person who fired the shot. Police executed a search warrant on February 8, 2023, located Watson at his uncle’s house and took him into custody.

The shooting devastated Daniel’s family and the local community, who have been calling for an end to such violence. If anyone at the DeSoto County Fair that night knew Daniel or saw what happened, please come forward with information.