Tyrone Anthony Whyte (Jail photo)

GATESVILLE (August 2, 2012)--Tyrone Anthony Whyte, 18, was sentenced to 10 years in state prison Wednesday for the 2011 shooting death of another teenager but his sentence was suspended and he was placed on probation.

State District Judge Trent Farrell first sentenced Whyte to 10 years in state prison after Whyte pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the death of Rafael George, but Farrell then suspended the prison sentence and placed Whyte on probation for 10 years.

Farrell did order Whyte to serve 180 days in the Coryell County Jail as a condition of his probation.

George died July 16, 2011 after he was shot during a gathering of friends at a residence at 504 Geri Drive in Copperas Cove.

Police officers sent to the scene found George with a gunshot wound to the head.

George was taken to Scott & White Hospital in Temple where he died the next day after family members discontinued life support.

According to a police affidavit, Whyte told officers he was playing with the gun, a chrome Taurus .38 revolver, when the gun "went off."

He told officers he was moving the hammer mechanism back and forth when the gun discharged.

"Tyrone later admitted that he had 'his finger in the trigger guard when the gun accidentally went off,'" the affidavit said.

Whyte and George were football teammates at Copperas Cove High School.