No, anybody with solid and early in life training in safe handling of firearms knows that. Too many people are growing up without a real no-nonsense gun awareness session. Like this kid, obviously. It's not an excuse for this, just some explanation. We shouldn't assume that this kid had the benefit of the same awareness training we've all had. Clearly he did not. I could never bring myself to pull the trigger on a gun pointed at a friend, even after checking several times that it was empty. I just couldn't do it. My finger wouldn't have the strength to overcome my fear.
My comment notwithstanding... Assuming the facts are really as presented, I don’t see the point in a heavy prison sentence for him. His punishment is already started in the vision he will have for the rest of his life of his girlfriend bleeding out next to him because of his stupid prank. I’d say he’s had the lesson driven home. Of all of us... He’s the least likely now to ever have an accidental discharge again.
Putting him in prison for a long time now just ensures that he’ll never amount to anything in life and will probably be educated in all the wrong arts instead. Prison should be for separating people from civilized society when they’ve proven they cannot live among the free. This kid has gotten a crash course in the effects of stupidity... And likely isn’t going to be dangerous to society as a whole anymore. Imprisonment at this point just creates another wasted life. I don’t see the point. Some other punishment perhaps.