Teen found guilty of manslaughter for killing friend is released, sent home

A teenage boy found guilty of manslaughter for killing his friend in Mount Pleasant has just been released from a reform facility and sent home.

On March 20, it will be two years since J.R. Gustafson was shot and killed by his 14-year-old friend but, on Friday, the teen accused of pulling the trigger was released from the juvenile treatment facility to which he was sentenced.

His probation officer and a representative from the school treatment facility where he's been staying told the judge that the boy has been doing very well and progressing better than most.

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He was 14 at the time of the shooting, and pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter. The 16-year-old was given the gun by the babysitter at the home, who told him to scare Gustafson into leaving.  But Gustafson was shot in the kitchen of the Mount Pleasant house.

The boy was released to his foster family in Fayette County, and won't be returning to Mount Pleasant.

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While that brings some relief to the Gustafson family, family members said they have to spend their holidays with their son at his gravestone in the cemetery, and it doesn't bring them any closure.

The judge said the teen has to go to therapy for post-traumatic stress disorder, cannot visit his biological parents unsupervised and has to build a memorial bench for Gustafson.

Cox Media Group