By Associated Press - Wednesday, August 1, 2018

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (AP) - A former Navy sailor who prosecutors say accidentally shot and killed his friend after showing off his gun has been sentenced to prison.

The Virginian-Pilot reports 24-year-old Alec Wagner was sentenced to six months Tuesday. He pleaded guilty to the 2016 involuntary manslaughter of 18-year-old Aleigha Hawkingberry earlier this year.

Prosecutors said they believed Wagner didn’t intend to harm Hawkingberry, but it was a criminal case because he had been trained to handle a firearm properly.

Wagner had told police he showed the gun to Hawkingberry, and then drove her home. She was standing outside and talking to him while he was putting it back in the glove compartment. His hand was on the trigger and she was shot when he banged it on the steering wheel.

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Information from: The Virginian-Pilot, http://pilotonline.com

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