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Man Agrees To Plea Deal In Shooting Death Of NBC Executive

SAN FERNANDO (CBS) — A Porter Ranch man has agreed to plea deal in the March 18 shooting death of a childhood friend, Brian Russell Kaplon, an executive at NBCUniversal.

David Andrew Armstrong pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter Wednesday.

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KNX 1070's Ed Mertz reports.

"Today I am very pleased that he was able to plead to the appropriate charge of involuntary manslaughter. The defense has always contended this was an accident ," said James Blatt, Armstrong's attorney.

"Nothing is going to bring Brian back. His children also miss him. My 3-year-old has separation issues . . . nothing they could ever do today will be justice enough for me," said Kaplon's widow and mother of his three children, Kristi Kaplon.

Armstrong is scheduled to be sentenced Nov. 30 and faces probation to 14 years in prison. The judge is expected to dismiss murder charges against him at that time.

Prosecutors said both men were drunk when the shooting occurred in the garage of Armstrong's home after a St. Patrick's Day party, where Armstrong was showing off semiautomatic rifle.

Kaplon, also 32, died from at least one shot to the chest, fired from an AR-15, a semiautomatic, civilian version of a U.S. military's M16. Most fire .223-caliber bullets.

Authorities said Armstrong kept a collection of guns in the garage.

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