Boy could avoid prison in sister’s accidental fatal shooting

MUSKEGON, Mich. – A 16-year-old boy could avoid a lengthy prison sentence for the accidental fatal shooting of his 14-year-old sister at their home in western Michigan.

The teen was charged as an adult in juvenile court following the Aug. 20 shooting in Muskegon Heights. The Muskegon Chronicle reports, however, that Muskegon County Probate Court Judge Kathy Hoogstra sentenced him Wednesday as a juvenile to at least a year in a residential treatment facility.

The teen in October pleaded no contest to second-degree murder. If he successfully completes probation, he’ll avoid a 13-year prison sentence and the charge would be reduced to manslaughter.

Police say the boy was playing with a handgun when it discharged, shooting his sister in the back. The Associated Press isn’t naming the girl to avoid identifying her brother.

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Information from: The Muskegon Chronicle, http://www.mlive.com/muskegon