Va. man sentenced for slaying of VSU student

CHESTERFIELD, Va. (AP) — A Chester man has pleaded guilty to a reduced charge in the slaying a Virginia State University student last fall during a party inside a student housing complex near the Ettrick campus.

According to media reports, 21-year-old Bryan W. Williams Jr. entered his plea Thursday to second-degree murder in the fatal shooting of 22-year-old student Eric N. Wilkins. He was shot in the back.

Wilkins was a bystander and unintended victim of the violence.

Williams was initially charged with first-degree murder.

Under terms of the plea agreement, Williams was sentenced to 43 years in prison, with 28 years suspended. That leaves 15 years to serve.

Wilkins was a 2009 graduate of Hopewell High School. He was expecting to graduate from VSU this year.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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