Teenage Shooting Leads to 70 Months Prison Sentence

MEDFORD, Ore — A Grants Pass teenager who shot another youngster eight times outside a fast-food outlet in Medford has been sentenced to spend five years and 10 months in jail.

Joseph Lopez (18) was found guilty of shooting 17-year-old Andrew Ramirez outside Buffalo Wild Wings fast-food outlet last December. Lopez was found guilty of second-degree assault and the unlawful use of a weapon.

Under a Measure 11 sentence, the teenager will serve the mandatory minimum sentence of 70 months and undergo post-prison supervision for three years after his release from jail.

Senior Deputy District Attorney Marissa LeRitz said Andrew Ramirez will never lead a normal life. She says after being shot eight times, the teenager has been physically, emotionally, and mentally affected.

LeRitz told the courtroom that Ramirez returned to school last week for the first time since the shooting incident, adding that the youngster, who is in recovery, can walk.