A jury on Tuesday found Kenneth S. Seplak guilty of first-degree murder in connection with the 2016 death of former Crystal Lake resident David Gorski, who was dating a woman Seplak presumably was stalking.

After a week of trial, Gorski’s family left a Lake County courtroom in tears Tuesday afternoon.

“Finally,” Gorski’s mother, Dolores Gorski, whispered with relief as she hugged a family member outside the courtroom.

Seplak, 39, faces a minimum of 45 years in prison because jurors also found that he personally fired a gun when the crime was committed. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for July 30 in Lake County court.

Jurors could have alternatively found Seplak guilty of second-degree murder if they believed he was acting in self defense, or involuntary manslaughter if they determined Seplak fired the gun by accident while he was acting recklessly.

Seplak, who has been free on bond since January 2017, was taken back to the Lake County Jail on Tuesday after the verdict was announced.

The charges stemmed from a late-night shooting Dec. 23, 2016. Libertyville police were called the area of Milwaukee Avenue and Hollister Drive, where a passerby reported seeing an unconscious driver inside a car that was parked on the median and had its hazard lights flashing, police said.

“We’re very happy that justice was served finally for David,” Dolores Gorski said.

David Gorski, a former Crystal Lake resident who graduated from Marian Central Catholic High School and McHenry County College, was discovered dead in his car late Dec. 23, 2016. Seplak was accused of shooting the 30-year-old after he witnessed David Gorski and the woman leaving a Vernon Hills movie theater together.

Initially searching for signs of alcohol or drug use, authorities were surprised to discover a gunshot wound in David Gorski’s arm, police and paramedics testified throughout the week. The bullet pierced his heart, killing him before he could call for help, prosecutors said.

On Monday, Seplak testified that the shooting was an accident, claiming he mistakenly fired the gun from his car window when David Gorski allegedly ran him off the road. Seplak described having a heated conversation with David Gorski after he allegedly confronted his crush’s mystery date in the movie theater parking lot. The conversation led to a short brawl that sent Seplak running when David Gorski allegedly shouted, “You’re dead,” Seplak said.

“I’m not going to go and hunt someone down like an animal and murder them in cold blood because they were at a movie theater together,” Seplak said.

That’s exactly what prosecutors said happened, however.

Cellphone data and ballistics experts confirmed Seplak was in the area at the time of the shooting, and had gun powder residue on the left sleeve of the shirt he was wearing the day David Gorski died.