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Brian Stone will not go to prison for accidentally killing his friend, but will deal with that loss for the rest of his life, according to his attorney.
On Aug. 21, a Frederick County Circuit Court jury cleared Stone, 23, of manslaughter and reckless endangerment charges in the death of 23-year-old Michael Brall of Hagerstown.
The two were among a group of friends returning to Stone's Baker Place apartment after a night out at Fusion Nightclub on Oct. 25, 2007.
According to court documents, Stone said he was showing Brall a .40-caliber handgun registered to his roommate when the gun accidentally went off. Brall suffered a single gunshot wound to the chest, and was pronounced dead at the apartment.
Frederick police deemed the shooting accidental.
In a two-day trial, Stone's attorney, Eric Schaffer of Frederick, argued that the shooting was accidental, while Frederick County Deputy State's Attorney David Callahan contended that Stone was grossly negligent.
