St. Paul man sentenced for killing 17-year-old friend

A St. Paul man received a sentence of 7 years and 9 months in prison on Monday in connection with the fatal shooting of a 17-year-old boy.

Matthew Sims had pled guilty in April to second-degree manslaughter for shooting Justin Boecker.

The two friends had been drinking and playing video games at the home of Sims' mother on Jan. 10 when Sims accidentally shot his friend, the criminal complaint said. Boecker died at the scene from a single gunshot wound to the left armpit.

According to the criminal complaint, Sims told police that the shooting was accidental and that he wishes he had died instead of his friend.

"This is a tragic case where foolish mishandling of a gun took the life of a teenage boy," said Ramsey County Attorney Susan Gaertner in a statement released on Monday. "It should make it clear that firearms are not toys, and the criminal penalties for fatally misusing them are severe."