A 19-year-old man was sentenced Thursday in Topeka to 18 months in federal prison for involuntary manslaughter in the shooting death of a 16-year-old boy on Fort Riley. The defendant also was ordered to pay $5,000 in restitution for funeral expenses.
Juwuan D. Jackson, who lived on Fort Riley at the time, had previously pleaded guilty to one count of involuntary manslaughter in August. He admitted that on Sept. 11, 2015, he handled a firearm in a reckless manner, resulting in the shooting death of 16-year-old Kenyon Givens, Jr., who also lived on Fort Riley.
According to court records, when military police responded to the shooting Jackson told them an unknown intruder wearing a mask had forced his way into the home and shot Givens.
Police discovered that there was no intruder present in or around the house and investigators eventually learned that Jackson had been playing with a loaded .22 caliber handgun before the shooting. Jackson spun the chamber while holding the trigger. The revolver discharged and a bullet struck Givens in the chest.
Jackson faced the possibility of up to eight years in federal prison. It was not disclosed where he will serve his sentence.
