Early in the night that Jonathan Jackson fatally shot a man, Jackson was a beating and robbery victim.

But although he didn't start the series of events, he finished it, Lucas County Common Pleas Judge Gene Zmuda said Wednesday.

Jackson, 18, of 2142 Dana St. was sentenced to six years in prison Wednesday for the shooting death of Donald Corrigan. He pleaded no contest Nov. 5 to involuntary manslaughter with a gun specification.

"This is not something you started, but you finished it, and you finished it by finding a gun," Judge Zmuda said. "… The mistake wasn't being there, the mistake was taking the law into your own hands."

Jackson was at a party at an Arlington Avenue apartment building about 2 a.m. April 21 when several men, including the victim, came in and robbed them, authorities said. During the incident, Jackson was beaten and his property was stolen.

The 20-year-old victim was among those who initiated the robbery. Everyone left the building, but Jackson returned with a gun. Authorities said it is not clear who initiated the gunfire.

Corrigan was about a block from the building when he was shot in the chest. He died shortly thereafter. Another man was shot in the foot.

Jackson told Judge Zmuda he accepted responsibility for his actions, but at the time of the incident, he was "scared for my life."

"I know what I did was wrong," he said. "… I was just scared when everything happened. It was a bad situation."

The judge acknowledged it was a bad situation but said Jackson should have called police instead of taking the law into his own hands. He said Jackson was in court Wednesday because his actions were not self-defense.

Judge Zmuda said he was giving Jackson the minimum sentence because of the circumstances of the incident, his lack of a felony record, and because of a letter from the victim's aunt. The judge said the letter informed him of some of the bad decisions made by Corrigan that led him to initiate a robbery that night.

"Bad things happen when guns are in play, and you put that gun in play," Judge Zmuda said. "…You will have to deal with on a daily basis that you shot and killed someone."

Members of the victim's family were in court but declined to make a statement to the judge..

Contact Erica Blake at: eblake@theblade.com or 419-213-2134.

First Published December 2, 2010, 4:55 a.m.