Fresno man sentenced for shooting, killing friend after "playing" with gun

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- A mother's heartbreak filled a Fresno County courtroom Wednesday arsenic she addressed the justice and called for justness for her son.

"The nonaccomplishment of my lad has near maine with an unbearable void successful my life. The symptom and grief I consciousness are overwhelming. Jason was a kind, humble, good-hearted individual," Marybeth Lim said.

Lim says Jason Vitug died astatine the hands of Jacob King. Her lad took a slug consecutive to his thorax wrong a Northwest Fresno location connected Gregory and Cromwell avenues successful May 2022.

Witnesses archer Action News that King was playing with a laser show connected a weapon erstwhile helium changeable Jason. The victim's parent says helium should not person had it successful the archetypal place.

"Why are you carrying a shade gun? For what?" Lim said. "Were you readying to wounded idiosyncratic oregon termination someone, perchance not for anyone to know?"

The men were six years isolated successful property but adjacent friends. They adjacent went connected a household travel together.

The victim's sister says Vitug invited the antheral who would spell connected to termination him.

"Do you retrieve our household travel to Disneyland?" Andrea Lim said. "Did you know, Jacob, that Jason begged my ma for you to spell connected that trip?"

Prosecutors charged the transgression arsenic voluntary manslaughter. It is simply a lesser complaint than murder, and it means the transgression lacked "malice," a cardinal constituent for the higher charge.

King archetypal denied the transgression but changed his plea past month, agreeing not to combat it immoderate longer and avoiding a proceedings wherever much grounds could person been revealed.

"This was not an intentional doing, and I anticipation that 1 time you guys tin forgive me," King said.

He apologized conscionable moments earlier helium learned his fate. The judge's hands were tied arsenic helium sentenced the antheral to 3 years successful prison.

"As I recognize it, this is simply a three-year stipulated term," Judge Mark Cullers said.

Attorneys connected some sides agreed to the three-year term. King already has recognition for astir fractional of the condemnation owed to clip spent successful jail.

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