In the fall of 2016, the life of 18-year-old Aleigha Michelle Hawkingberry was tragically cut short in Virginia Beach, Virginia. On the evening of October 4th, Hawkingberry was fatally shot in the 1100 block of Mondrian Loop. The person responsible for her death was identified as 22-year-old Alec Spencer Wagner, a Navy seaman at the time.
Following the incident, Wagner was arrested and faced charges of involuntary manslaughter and reckless handling of a firearm.
The investigation revealed that the shooting was unintentional. Wagner had been showing his gun to Hawkingberry and, as he was putting it back in the glove compartment of his vehicle, his hand was on the trigger. The gun discharged when he reportedly banged it on the steering wheel, striking and killing Hawkingberry who was standing outside the car talking to him.
In 2018, Alec Wagner pleaded guilty to the involuntary manslaughter of Aleigha Hawkingberry. Prosecutors acknowledged that they did not believe Wagner intended to harm his friend, but pursued the case as a criminal matter due to his training in proper firearm handling. As a result of his guilty plea, the former sailor was sentenced to six months in jail for his role in the accidental shooting death.
