There will be no jail time for an aspiring country music singer who shot a homeless man five years ago in Nashville.
The incident took place Aug. 26, 2017, when Katie Layne Quackenbush, 32, got into an argument with Gerald Melton, who was 54 at the time and experiencing homelessness, USA Today reported.
As tension mounted, Quackenbush drew a gun from her purse and fired two shots at Melton before driving to a Taco Bell and then returning home, according to the report, which noted that Melton had been awakened by exhaust fumes and music from Quackenbush’s Porsche SUV before the argument started.
Melton survived the shooting but, due to the extent of his injuries, was forced to undergo at least three surgeries.
Quackenbush was arrested and later indicted on charges of attempted first-degree murder and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. During a two-day trial in April, her lawyer argued Quackenbush was afraid of Melton and reacted in an attempt to scare him away. She was convicted of reckless endangerment, which is a misdemeanor, and set free on a $25,000 bond.
A judge on Thursday sentenced Quackenbush to 11 months and 29 days of probation.
"This has been the worst experience of my life, but I'm grateful that I had it, because it has changed me so dramatically to the core," Quackenbush said.
In a statement during Thursday's hearing, Quackenbush said she had already been punished in some ways. The mother of four's mugshot went viral and she claimed to have also faced public ridicule, endured being spit on, and received death threats.
Quackenbush added that she has found it difficult to find work, describing her life since the incident as having "one foot in purgatory and the other in real life."
"For five years, I've been having to live with this ... social punishment. Even after all of this is over, Google is always going to be there. This will follow me for the rest of my life," she said.
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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