Teen Bear Hunter Sentenced In Fatal Shooting

Tyler Kales was convicted of second-degree manslaughter with a firearm on June 2.

On Friday, he was sentenced to 30 days in juvenile detention and 120 hours community service. Kales could have received up to 3 months.

"I can’t imagine what they go through every day, how they feel,” Kales said. “All I want to say is how sorry I am and I hope they can forgive me.”

When convicted, Skagit County Superior Court Judge Susan Cook said it was not an accident last August when the Concrete teenager shot 54-year-old Pamela Almli of Oso on Sauk Mountain.

She was hiking with a friend on a marked trail when she was shot.

The judge acquitted the 15-year-old of the more serious charge of first-degree manslaughter, finding he didn't act recklessly.

During the sentencing, Almli's sister expressed anger at Kales for being so quick to shoot that day despite thick fog on the mountain.

“You ignored and broke all the rules, Tyler. And you have special responsibilities when you carry a gun and you didn’t follow through,” Almli’s sister, Gail Blacker said. “You did something so wrong that day and no one can ever undo it.”

During Kales' trial, Skagit County prosecutor Rich Weyrich said the teen and his older brother would have known that Almli and her companion were people, and not animals, if they had used binoculars.

In the aftermath of the shooting, there has also been a debate over juvenile hunting. Kales and his older brother didn’t have an adult with them at the time of the incident.

"My dad never, ever would have let me go alone, ever. I shot my last deer at the age of 21 and he was with me then too and we always used binoculars no matter what," said Almli's daughter-in-law, Cari Almli.

Kales attorney described him as a good student and someone who doesn’t smoke or drink and respects authority.

The judge agreed, saying Kales is no danger to the community.

“Perhaps most importantly he's taken personal responsibility for what happened that day,” said Skagit County Superior Court Judge Susan Cook.

Cook sentenced him to 30 days in detention, a relatively modest sentence. He'll also have to serve 120 hours of community service, 40 of those will be in hunter education talking to other kids in hopes of preventing a repeat of this tragedy.

Previous Stories: June 2, 2009: Teen Hunter Convicted Of 2nd-Degree Manslaughter In Hiker's Death May 27, 2009: Teen Hunter On Trial In Woman's Fatal Shooting August 15, 2008: Boy Charged In Fatal Hunting Accident August 5, 2008: No Adult Accompanied Teen Hunter Who Mistook Woman For Bear August 5, 2008: Friends Of Teen Hunter Say He's Already Suffering August 3, 2008: Woman Fatally Shot By Bear Hunter