Woman who mistakenly shot neighbor gets 6 years

OREGON CITY, Ore. (AP) – A young woman who fired a gun during an argument with her boyfriend – inadvertently killing her elderly neighbor – has been sentenced to six years and three months in prison.

Noelle St. John told investigators she grabbed her boyfriend’s .380 caliber handgun at a suburban Portland apartment last June. She pointed it at her head, then opened the front door and fired a round.

The bullet traveled across a parking lot, went through a front window and hit 80-year-old Donna McQueen in the chest.

Clackamas County deputies responded to the apartment complex after the shot was fired, but did not find a victim. McQueen’s daughter discovered the body the next day.

The Oregonian/OregonLive reports (https://is.gd/yRYKrS ) the 22-year-old St. John pleaded guilty last week to second-degree manslaughter.

McQueen’s family agreed with the plea deal and St. John expressed remorse at sentencing.