Teen to spend life in prison for role in deadly Des Moines high school shooting

DES MOINES, Iowa (KCCI) - A teen charged in a deadly drive-by shooting outside an Iowa high school will spend life in prison with the possibility of parole.

A group of 10 teens shot at students outside East High School in Des Moines in March last year.

Jose Lopez, 15, died, and two other teenage girls were hurt.

Prosecutors charged Romeo Perdomo with first degree murder in the shooting. He was 16 at the time.

He originally pleaded not guilty, but changed his plea last month. First degree murder carries a mandatory life sentence without the chance of parole in Iowa.

Perdomo’s plea agreement includes the chance of parole, and having four other charges dropped.

During sentencing on Tuesday, Perdomo apologized for the shooting, calling it his “dumb mistake.”

However, Lopez’s mother said it’s too late for an apology.

“You say you’re sorry,” said Deborha Perez, Lopez’s mother. “It’s too late because I don’t get anything out of it. That’s not bringing my son back.”

Perdomo will also have to pay $150,000 in restitution.

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