A Maple Grove man was sentenced to six years in prison Friday after pleading guilty to manslaughter in the shooting death of a 21-year-old at a St. Paul house last August.

The brother of Jonathan Andrew Wade, who died of a gunshot to his head, told police that Wade and Damound Jahema Franks had been playing with guns and accidentally shot each other, according to the charges.

Damound Jahema Franks (Courtesy of the Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office)

Franks was reportedly grazed in the head by a bullet and paramedics took him to Regions Hospital for treatment.

Franks, 22, was charged by warrant with second-degree manslaughter, unlawful possession of a firearm and receiving stolen property.

At a Dec. 27 pretrial hearing, Franks reached a deal with Ramsey County prosecutors and pleaded guilty to the manslaughter charge in exchange for a 75-month prison term and dismissal of the other charges. He received credit Friday for 175 days already served in custody.

Guns in waistbands

Officers called to the house on Manitoba Avenue near Park Street in St. Paul’s North End just before 11 p.m. Aug. 2 found Wade in the upper unit. Paramedics pronounced him dead. A spent shell casing was found near his head.

An autopsy showed that Wade, of St. Cloud, Minn., also had a through-and-through bullet wound to his right hand, “indicating that the fired shot went through his hand before entering his head,” the criminal complaint says.

Body-worn camera footage recorded by the officers who arrived first at the scene showed Wade’s brother “very emotional and upset,” the complaint states.

He told police he was in the house with Wade, Franks, Franks’ sister and Franks’ girlfriend. He said he was in the living room with Wade and Franks, who had guns in their waistbands. He said Wade had a Smith & Wesson handgun and Franks had a Sig Sauer handgun, the complaint says.

Wade’s brother said he was playing a video game while wearing headphones, then heard a shot and saw Wade fall to the ground. He said he confronted Franks, pushed him and asked why he shot his brother. Franks said he was sorry and he did not intend to shoot him, the complaint says.

Jonathan Andrew Wade (Courtesy of GoFundMe)

Wade’s brother said that Wade and Franks accidentally shot each other. When asked if the two men had been playing with guns, he said that they were and then “motioned that they were pointing the guns at each other when the gun went off,” according to the complaint.

He said he was not aware of an argument or dispute between his brother and Franks.

Franks’ girlfriend, Andrea Marie Thomas, was charged with two counts of felony aiding an offender for taking a bag with two guns from the house, the criminal complaints say. The Sig Sauer gun was reported as stolen out of Sartell, Minn., on July 22.

Thomas, 20, of St. Paul, has pleaded not guilty to the charges and a trial is scheduled to begin Feb. 22.

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