David John Lopez III, a 15-year-old from Bakersfield, California, tragically lost his life on October 28, 2022, due to a shooting incident. The Bakersfield Police Department responded to reports of a shooting on the 1400 block of Pacific Street around 6:20 p.m. Upon arrival, officers found David Lopez III suffering from severe injuries, and he was pronounced dead at the scene. The investigation revealed that the suspect, 28-year-old Austin French, had fled to a nearby residence.
Police surrounded the residence and successfully negotiated French's peaceful surrender. A firearm was recovered, and French was booked into the Kern County Jail on charges of murder and multiple counts of assault with a deadly weapon.
The incident leading to David Lopez III's death was captured on surveillance video, which showed a chaotic scene involving neighborhood violence. According to reports, David Lopez III was seen running across the street with what appeared to be a long stick or pipe. He then jumped into an SUV that drove towards Austin French, who had come to assist his pregnant friend, Angelina Cortez. The video showed Lopez leaving the SUV with the stick or pipe and approaching French's property. Moments later, French fired the fatal shot, resulting in Lopez's death on French's front lawn. French claimed that he had warned the attackers to back off his property before firing the gun.
The case took a complex turn when the district attorney's office decided not to file charges against Austin French immediately, citing the need for further investigation. French was released from jail, and the case was sent back to the Bakersfield Police Department for additional inquiries. French and his supporters argued that the shooting was an act of self-defense, as French was protecting his property and his pregnant friend from an aggressive group. Neighbors and friends of French supported his claim, stating that the neighborhood had been plagued by violence for some time.
The Lopez family, however, maintained that their son was killed in cold blood and sought justice for his death. They described French as a madman and disputed the self-defense narrative. The conflicting accounts and the ongoing investigation have left the community divided, with some supporting French's actions and others demanding accountability for David Lopez III's death.
