BERKELEY COUNTY, S.C. (WCIV) — More than four years after a deadly shooting inside a Berkeley County gun shop, the man responsible will serve less than a month behind bars, spread out over five years.
Jon Whitley, owner of Coastal Firearms, appeared before a packed courtroom on Friday and entered a guilty plea to involuntary manslaughter in the 2021 shooting death of his employee, Steven Mrgan. Judge Thomas J. Rode followed the prosecution’s recommendation and sentenced Whitley to probation, but added a highly unusual condition to the ruling.
Judge Rode said that Whitley should serve five days in jail from Nov. 1 to Nov. 5 every year for the five years he is on probation. He will serve a total of 25 days in jail, and he will be required to complete community service with an organization that supports military families who have a spouse…