JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- The man who was found guilty of manslaughter in the shooting death of a father of three was sentenced on Friday to life in prison. At his sentencing hearing, Joshua Charles repeated the same thing he has been saying since his arrest -- that he did not fire the shot that killed Eric Schnoor. He also apologized to the Schnoor family. Prosecutors said Charles was driving around a Mandarin neighborhood last January, shooting for fun. One of the bullets hit and killed Schnoor, who investigators said he was out collecting old books.
Schnoor's wife, Racquel Schnoor, took the stand and talked about why spending Aug. 15 at Charles' sentencing hearing was especially painful. "Today would have been my 14th wedding anniversary," Schnoor said. "(Our kids) remember being tucked in and snuggling up to their daddy, but unfortunately, that's all they can do is remember him because they've been robbed of their privilege of access to their father by someone else's recklessness."
Seconds after the judge handed down Charles' life sentence, the courtroom erupted with emotion. Prosecutors said Charles got what he deserved. "I think that this case was a total wake-up call to our community, and it was a scary incident for any person who just wants to venture outside of their home," said prosecutor London Hairston. The trial for Charles' co-defendant, Dean Parker, who investigators said was driving the car at the time of Schnoor's shooting, will be held at a later date.