By Janie Bryant
The Virginian-Pilot
PARK VIEW, Va. — A 19-year-old man was given a two-year suspended sentence Monday for the July 2008 shooting death of Barry T. Schultz of Portsmouth .
Christopher D. Brown had pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter for what was described in court as the accidental shooting of his good friend.
The two had been to a dance together earlier that night, according to testimony during an earlier hearing. Later Schultz, who was 17, went to Brown’s house in Park View.
Brown opened the door holding a gun, which fired, striking the younger teen in the head. He died five days later.
Circuit Judge Kenneth R. Melvin asked the prosecutor if there was any doubt that the shooting was an accident.
Andrew Kolp, the prosecutor, said in his mind there was none.
Brown’s lawyer, Nathan Chapman, told the judge it was a “serious case and a difficult case.”
He said his client had a gun because he had been the victim of a robbery about three months before and that he was inexperienced in handling it.
Chapman said his client has to live forever with the memory of what happened.
He said Brown kept going to the hospital to see his friend until he was no longer allowed to be there.
Helena Kemp, the victim’s mother, broke down on the stand, saying her oldest son had been her life.
“It’s like there’s a hole in my heart and nothing’s going to bring him back.”
Brown will serve two years of supervised probation.
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