Derrius J. Atkinson has been charged with felony involuntary manslaughter in connection with the Aug. 6 death of Rodshawn Malik Barnes.
Derrius Atkinson, a Wake Forest, North Carolina teenager pled guilty and was sentenced to 13-25 months in prison in connection with a 2018 gun accident that left his best friend dead. Atkinson was also ordered to pay restitution.
Rodshawn Barnes, Atkinson, and two other boys were playing video games at Barnes’ home, while also playing with a 9mm gun. Although the details of the accident remain unclear, according to Atkinson, one of the other boys “threw the gun and it went off.” Barnes was shot and killed. Atkinson apparently fled with the gun, which has never been recovered. Criminal cases against the other two boys who were present at the time of the accident remain pending.
Prior to the accident, Atkinson was a straight-A student and a standout basketball player at Community Christian School. He completed his high school diploma in prison. At the time of sentencing, Atkinson apologized to Barnes’ family. Barnes’ grandmother told the Court, “My grandson can’t speak for himself anymore. Life is no game.”
Source:
Olivia Neeley, “Teen Pleads Guilty in 2018 Accidental Shooting,” The Wake Weekly (March 10, 2020).