A man was sentenced to prison Monday in the 2019 shooting death of a Birmingham father.

Jefferson County Circuit Judge Teresa Pulliam sentenced 24-year-old Jhakiren Grier guilty of a reduced charge of reckless manslaughter in the slaying of 36-year-old Gewayne Gilbert. Grier was initially charged with murder.

The shooting happened May 31, 2019, outside of Ensley Seafood on Ensley Avenue. Police said six to nine rounds were fired.

Gilbert was temporarily staying with his uncle across the street from the restaurant while he saved money. He had just started a new job at Acipco and was looking forward to better being able to support his wife and seven children – his youngest child was just born about two weeks before his death.

One of Gilbert’s young elementary-school-aged sons was spending the night with him. Just before 9:30 p.m. Friday, he wanted something to eat so Gilbert asked his uncle to keep an eye on the boy and he walked over to Ensley Seafood.

A short time later, Gilbert’s uncle heard shots fired, but didn’t think much about it. He and Gilbert’s son fell asleep, and he was shocked to awaken the next morning to find Gilbert still gone and the boy still there.

Family members began to make calls and learned it was indeed their loved one who died in the shooting.

Grier was arrested shortly after the homicide.

The defendant contended that he was arguing with Gilbert and thought Gilbert was reaching for a gun. Testimony showed that Gilbert was not armed.

A jury convicted him in December.

Jefferson County Assistant District Attorneys Lauren Breland and Zander Carrier prosecuted the case. Grier was represented by attorneys John Lentine and Anthony Bowling.

Grier’s attorneys had asked that he serve his sentence in the Jefferson County Jail. The deadly shooting, they said in court documents, resulted from fear, not premeditation.

The attorneys also noted that he had no prior felony convictions and that he would be vulnerable to retaliation in state prison after testifying against someone else who is now in prison.

Pulliam ordered Grier to the custody of the Alabama Department of Corrections.