58-Year-Old Man Gets Eight Year Prison Sentence After Accidentally Fatally Shooting His Friend

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A 58-year-old man pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter on Aug. 20 for fatally shooting his friend earlier this year while showing the victim his new handgun.

During a hearing before Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Althea M. Handy, Anthony Jones received an eight-year prison sentence after pleading guilty to involuntary manslaughter and firearm use in a felony or violent crime in connection to the incident on Jan. 24.

In accordance with the offer, Jones received 10 years, suspending all but three years, for involuntary manslaughter and a consecutive 20 years, suspending all but five years without parole, for firearm use in a felony or violent crime. Jones, who was represented by defense attorney Gil Amaral, will also serve five years of supervised probation upon his release and must register as a gun offender.

The prosecutor explained that at the time of the shooting, Jones was with several others, all of whom were drinking except for the victim, 68-year-old Delroy Plummer, on the 5200 block of Fairlawn Avenue. Jones was showing Plummer his new gun when the weapon fired and struck Plummer once in the chest. Jones called 911, but Plummer died from his injury.

Plummer’s daughter told Judge Handy that Jones made a “foolish yet conscious choice.”

“Can you imagine rehearsing the demise of your father daily?” she said in court. “…If [my father] had bent over to tie his shoe, would it have missed him?”

Jones expressed his remorse for the shooting, telling Plummer’s family that he was friends with the victim for decades and never intended for something like this to happen.