A Fort Lauderdale teenager who admitted he accidentally shot his friend to death in Wilton Manors last September while both were playing with handguns has been sentenced to serve between 18 and 36 months in a maximum risk juvenile facility.
The juvenile sanctions represent a break for Herbe Belony, 17, who had been charged as an adult and faced a maximum of 15 years in prison if convicted at trial. After he is out of custody, Belony will be on conditional release until he turns 21.
Prosecutors agreed that the shooting death of Christopher Granados, 16, was an accident. Belony and Granados were among a group of friends gathered in a Wilton Manors apartment on Sept. 16, 2024. The two teens were laughing while playing with guns, and Belony did not know there was a bullet in the weapon he was handling.
After the fatal shot, Belony rushed to perform CPR on his friend in a desperate attempt to save his life, according to a summary of the case provided by the Broward State Attorney’s Office.
Belony was a high school senior with good grades and no criminal history, according to the case summary, which outlined prosecutors’ reasons for agreeing to juvenile sanctions.
Broward Circuit Judge George Odom imposed the sentence on Thursday, including a requirement that Belony get a job after his release and pay $500 a month to the victim’s family to cover the cost of funeral expenses.
Rafael Olmeda can be reached at rolmeda@sunsentinel.com or 954-356-4457. Follow him on Threads.net/@rafael.olmeda.