VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. - A Virginia Beach man will serve five years in prison for a 2021 fatal shooting that police say was the result of the man mishandling a firearm.
Shawn Michael Sheppard, 34, was sentenced to 18 years in state prison with 13 years suspended in connection with the death of 40-year-old Kristina Hager.
Hager was found dead in a home in the 1300 block of Crane Crescent in June 2021. Sheppard, a resident of the home, was detained for questioning; he allegedly told police he was mishandling a firearm when it discharged, fatally wounding Hager.
Sheppard pleaded guilty to three felonies: involuntary manslaughter, shooting or stabbing in the commission of a felony, and discharging a firearm within or at an occupied building.
Under Virginia law, the time he spent in jail awaiting trial will be credited toward his five-year active sentence.
