Man sentenced for shooting into crowd, killing 1

The family of a man killed by a gunshot to the head offered forgiveness to the person who pulled the trigger during his sentencing in St. Louis County court.

Philbert Barnes was sentenced to 29 years in prison Thursday for the shooting death of 22-year-old Curtis Cooney last July.

Barnes was convicted of firing a gun into a group of people while running away, killing Cooney and injuring another man.

The Duluth News Tribune says the victim's father, Michael Cooney, told Barnes in court that he and his family refused to be consumed by hate for him. Cooney also offered the forgiveness of his dead son.

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Information from: Duluth News Tribune, http://www.duluthsuperior.com

(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

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