New Hope teen pleads guilty after accidentally shooting friend with ghost gun, killing him
NEW HOPE, Minn. — A New Hope teenager has been sentenced for his role in the shooting of another teen with a ghost gun.
On Monday, the 17-year-old boy pleaded guilty to one count each of second-degree manslaughter, first-degree assault and owning, possessing or operating a machine gun, according to court documents filed in Hennepin County.
The 17-year-old and a 16-year-old friend were playing with a gun at the 17-year-old's house on Sept. 18 when it went off, hitting the 16-year-old in the eye. He later died.
The 17-year-old called 911 and allegedly said his 16-year-old friend shot himself. Responding authorities found the 16-year-old unresponsive. They also found a ghost gun — an untraceable firearm assembled from separate pieces — on the ground.
Investigators discovered the gun had been modified with a binary trigger, which allows it to fire twice with a single pull and release of the trigger, court documents say.
The 17-year-old must complete the juvenile program at the facility in Red Wing and will be on supervised probation until his 21st birthday in 2028. If he violates the terms of his probation, he will serve a four-year adult prison sentence.
