A man involved in a deadly shooting at the 2021 Puerto Rican Day parade in Humboldt Park has been sentenced to 20 years in prison, the maximum penalty allowed.
Anthony Lorenzi, 37, was found guilty of second-degree murder in a two-day bench trial before Judge Domenica Stephenson. The judge said she gave the harshest sentence to send a strong message that gun violence will not be tolerated.
Since Illinois allows day-for-day credit for second-degree murder convictions, Lorenzi will likely serve half his sentence. He has already spent over 3.5 years in jail while awaiting trial, which will count toward his time.
The shooting happened on June 19, 2021, in the 3200 block of West Division Street. That night, 24-year-old Gyovanny Arzuaga was driving his Dodge Durango when he was involved in a minor crash. A group of people, including Lorenzi, confronted Arzuaga and tried to drag him out of the SUV.
As Arzuaga struggled with them, he pulled out a gun and fired a shot, unintentionally hitting his girlfriend, Yasmin Perez, 25, in the neck. The crowd panicked and ran away. However, as Arzuaga slumped over Perez, Lorenzi approached and fired multiple shots, killing him.
The young couple had been deeply in love and left behind two small children.
After the shooting, Lorenzi fled to California, where he was later arrested and extradited back to Chicago. Surveillance cameras and bystanders’ cellphone recordings captured the chaotic scene, bringing national attention to the city’s ongoing gun violence problem.
During sentencing, the judge criticized Lorenzi for carrying a gun illegally to the parade and for escalating the situation. She said his choice to bring a weapon ultimately led to the tragedy.
Family members of the victims urged the judge to give Lorenzi the maximum sentence. Arzuaga’s aunt, Michelle Portillo, even wrote a poem expressing the family’s grief. His grandmother, Joan Vilaro, recalled his love for bowling and their Friday night traditions of dinner, movies, and card games.
Lorenzi listened carefully as the families spoke. When given a chance to speak, he apologized to both his family and the victims’ families. He insisted that he never meant to kill Arzuaga and claimed he acted in self-defense. However, he acknowledged the pain his actions had caused.
“I know I will be judged again by God,” Lorenzi said, reading from a prepared statement. “I hope you can begin the process of forgiveness.”
