Firearms Trainer Pleads Guilty in Soldier’s Death

Sean Stark, a 38-year-old former firearms instructor at Letterkenny Army Depot in Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter in the March 12 shooting death of 18-year-old Army reservist Krystofer Lopez. Prosecutors said Stark conducted training in a grossly negligent manner; court records described repeated failures to follow basic firearm-safety rules before Stark’s loaded gun discharged and struck Lopez. Stark faces up to eight years in prison, and prosecutors have agreed to recommend a reduced sentencing calculation in light of his guilty plea; sentencing is scheduled for February. Lopez’s family said the potential sentence does not adequately reflect the loss and that Stark has not contacted them to apologize.