A man who unintentionally shot and paralyzed a University student last fall pleaded guilty Monday to felony assault with a firearm in exchange for probation, community service and a $20,000 payment to the victim.
Derek Eli Madsen, 28, of Veneta was sentenced to three years on probation and 150 hours of community service for shooting Jesse Solomon McLaughlin in the neck on Oct. 13, according to an Associated Press report.
McLaughlin, who now lives in an adult foster home, was playing paintball with co-workers on a rural road near Eugene when Madsen shot him from a vehicle with a .17-caliber varmint rifle. Madsen said he shot at movement in the brush he believed was a skunk.
McLaughlin was a 20 year-old business major at the time of the shooting. He spent two and a half months in critical condition at Sacred Heart Medical Center, including his 21st birthday.
Joe McLaughlin, Jesse’s father, said in court Monday that to be truly remorseful Madsen should be required to pay for Jesse McLaughlin’s care because it is unfair to expect the victim’s family and community to pay the bills, according to The Register-Guard.
“Where is the justice in that?” he asked.