A man who fatally shot his friend in City Heights in an apparently inadvertent shooting was sentenced Tuesday to 10 years and eight months in state prison.
Alan Bahena, 22, pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter and other charges for the shooting of 22-year-old Alex Leyva, which occurred just before midnight on May 12.
Bahena, Leyva and others were gathered in the driveway of an apartment complex on Van Dyke Avenue when prosecutors say an intoxicated Bahena fired a gunshot that struck Leyva. The victim was taken to a hospital, where he died.
Bahena was arrested the following day on suspicion of murder.
Defense attorney Brianne Murphy said the shooting happened accidentally, stating in court that “a group of guys got together that night and decided to drink, and decided to get high, and decided to screw around with guns.”
Murphy told San Diego Superior Court Judge Rachel Cano at Bahena’s sentencing hearing that her client “lost his best friend because of stupid and careless, reckless actions.”
The judge said she also believed the shooting was unintentional, though she noted Bahena was not allowed to possess firearms due to a prior juvenile conviction.
Cano said she believed Bahena was “out there showing off your guns to your friends,” leading to “a careless, horrible, irresponsible accident.”
