Teen pleads guilty to fatally shooting friend, sent to juvenile facility

Christian Ashley pleaded guilty in the fatal shooting of killing Henry Atkins.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A 15-year-old pleaded guilty Friday to fatally shooting a friend while playing with a gun last fall and was ordered to be confined to a juvenile facility.

Christian Ashley pleaded guilty in juvenile court to first-degree manslaughter and tampering with evidence, according to the State Attorney's Office. He will go to a high-risk facility for nine to 12 months to complete, but can go longer.

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When released, he will remain on probation until he turns 21.

Jacksonville police said Ashley and several friends were hanging out in an abandoned building on Jacksonville's Westside in September, when Ashley began pointing a gun around the room. The weapon fired once and hit 14-year-old Henry Atkins Jr. in the chest.

The group helped Atkins to a nearby fire station. Rescue workers took him to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Ashley’s grandfather wrote a letter for Henry’s family, telling them Ashley is a good young man who made a terrible decision to play with a gun.

"I’m very sorry for what happened. I know Christian did not mean to do it," Ashley's mother, who does not want her name used, told News4Jax in October. "I just found out he’s having nightmares, because that’s his friend. He used to sit on our front porch. I used to see him all the time with Christian."