On the evening of December 20, 2017, 25-year-old Justin Finklea, a male resident of Saint Paul, Minnesota, was fatally shot in what his family described as a tragic accident. The incident occurred at a residence on the 400 block of West Michigan Street, where Finklea had been drinking with friends. According to reports, the group was handling a firearm when it discharged, striking Finklea.
First responders arrived at the scene to find him with a gunshot wound and, despite their efforts, he was pronounced dead. Finklea was a father to two young sons and a graduate of Forest Lake High School.
In the aftermath of the shooting, authorities arrested 31-year-old Joel Andrew Paulson of Stacy, Minnesota. Initially, Paulson claimed that Finklea had accidentally shot himself. However, he later admitted to being the one holding the 9mm handgun when it fired. An investigation revealed that Finklea had been playing with the weapon, repeatedly inserting and removing the magazine. Paulson then took the gun, and, not realizing a bullet was in the chamber, pointed it at Finklea and pulled the trigger. The bullet struck Finklea in his lower-left torso.
Joel Andrew Paulson was subsequently charged with second-degree manslaughter. In court, he expressed remorse for his actions, stating that he did not believe the handgun was loaded when he jokingly pointed it at his friend. In November 2018, as part of a plea agreement, Paulson was sentenced to one year in jail followed by 10 years of probation for the death of Justin Finklea. The sentencing was an emotional event for the families of both men, who were present in the courtroom.
