A Louisville man accused in a shooting that left one victim with a bullet permanently lodged in their skull pleaded not guilty in court this week, according to Louisville police. Gabriel Rodriguez, 19, is charged with assault and wanton endangerment stemming from a July shooting on Poplar Level Road that wounded two people.
According to court documents cited by WLKY, two people were driving past another vehicle that was on fire when shots were fired at their car. One victim was hit in the arm, while a second victim was struck in the head. Authorities say the bullet that hit that second victim could not be removed from the victim's skull. Police have identified Rodriguez as one of two suspects in the case, though the station's report does not detail the status of the second suspect.
Rodriguez is expected back in court next week, per the same account. As is standard in criminal proceedings, the charges against him remain unproven allegations that have yet to be tested at trial.
What Kentucky Law Says About the Charges
Under Kentucky Revised Statutes § 508.010, First-Degree Assault is classified as a Class B felony, punishable by 10 to 20 years in state prison upon conviction, according to kloeker law. The wanton endangerment charge Rodriguez faces carries far less potential prison time: First-Degree Wanton Endangerment is a Class D felony under Kentucky Revised Statutes § 508.060, carrying a potential sentence of one to five years in prison and fines of up to $10,000, per Larmour Law Offices. That charge applies when conduct creates a substantial danger of death or serious physical injury to others.
A Corridor With a Troubled Recent History
This is not the only violent incident to hit Poplar Level Road in recent months. Louisville police investigated a separate double shooting in the Newburg area. Investigators determined the shooting happened in the 4900 block of Poplar Level Road, and two victims were found injured inside a residence in the 3400 block of Twin Oak Lake, as reported by WHAS11. In September, a high-speed crash on the same roadway near Bishop Lane resulted in two fatalities; no additional details on potential charges had been released as of the Courier Journal's last update, according to Hoodline.
Poplar Level Road is a main roadway in Louisville, where several recent violent incidents have occurred.
Investigators Face Steep Odds in Non-Fatal Cases
Cases like this one typically fall to LMPD's dedicated Non-Fatal Shooting Squad, created in June 2023 with 16 detectives and federal ATF agents tasked specifically with solving shootings where victims survive. Such investigations often present unique hurdles when victims or witnesses cannot or will not identify suspects, a dynamic Hoodline has detailed in a separate case where a shooting victim stayed silent about where the attack occurred.
Shooting Comes Amid a Broader Drop in Violence
The case lands at a moment when Louisville has posted some of its steepest declines in violent crime in years. Mayor Craig Greenberg reported in October that the city recorded a 23% decline in homicides and a 25% drop in non-fatal shooting victims year-to-date compared to the same period in 2025, according to LouisvilleKY.gov.
