NORTHAMPTON, Mass. (AP) - A Massachusetts man who fired a gun during a party in a crowded apartment complex stairwell, killing a friend and injuring a second man, has been sentenced to up to 25 years in prison.
Soknang Chham, of New Salem, was sentenced Wednesday after pleading guilty to manslaughter and other charges in the October 2016 shooting at the Southpoint apartments in Amherst.
Prosecutors say 31-year-old Jose Rodriguez, a father of three, was struck three times and died. Another victim survived.
Prosecutor Matthew Thomas says the motive for the shooting remains unclear but it occurred after another man entered the party and the 36-year-old Chham shouted “This is a setup.”
Defense attorney William O’Neil said Chham and Rodriguez had known each other since childhood and described them as “best friends.”
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