Prison Time for Teen Who Shot and Killed His 13-Year-Old Sister

An 18-year-old from Salt Lake City, Joseph Michael Landers, was sentenced on Monday to one to 15 years in prison for the tragic shooting death of his 13-year-old sister, Angelica “Kica” Hernandez, inside their family home.

The incident occurred when Landers pulled a gun out in a room where he was with his sister and three other children. According to charging documents, Hernandez asked, “What if you accidentally do pull it?” just before Landers inserted a clip and cocked the gun, allegedly to scare her. The other children in the room told officers that Landers pointed the gun at Hernandez’s head and asked if he should shoot her before pulling the trigger.

After the fatal shot, witnesses reported that Landers seemed shocked, ran from the room, and said he wanted his mom while expressing remorse, saying, “I’m so sorry, I shot Kica.”

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Third District Judge Matthew Bates handed down the sentence, crediting Landers with the over a year and a half he had spent in custody. Multiple staff members at the Weber County Youth Facility, where Landers had been held, wrote letters to the judge, stating that he has accepted responsibility for the crime and is committed to improving himself.

Because Landers was 16 at the time of the crime, he will be moved to Utah State Prison once he turns 25, unless he is granted an earlier release by the Board of Pardons and Parole. He pleaded guilty to manslaughter, a second-degree felony, after the charge was amended from murder, a first-degree felony. A separate charge of using a dangerous weapon as a restricted person was dropped as part of the plea agreement.

Before sentencing, Landers and his mother addressed the judge, speaking briefly about the impact of the case.

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keelee-mccain

Keelee McCain is a junior at Weber High School. This is her second year on staff, this year as Assistant to the Chief. She does have a life (probably) but she can't think of anything to write in here, so she's probably just going to ramble now. She has an orange cat who she likes better than any human. If you see her being quiet or not sitting on top of a desk, there is something very wrong. In her free time she enjoys harassing her favorite teachers and sleeping. Her life plans include making it through high school and leaving. Happy lifeing.

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