NORTH KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A Clay County judge sentenced a 31-year-old man for a 2019 deadly shooting at the American Inn in North Kansas City.

Clay County Judge David Chamberlain sentenced Zachary Gifford on Wednesday to 15 years in prison for voluntary manslaughter.

Zachary Gifford was sentenced today to 15 years in prison for voluntary manslaughter, amended from the original charge of second-degree murder.  

Jacob Roberson, 28, died in the shooting where one other victim in an adjacent room was grazed. Officers went to the American Inn at about 4:45 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2019, after the victim who was grazed reported the shooting to the front desk manager.

Court documents say detectives interviewed Gifford’s sister and father, who voluntarily went to investigators after they spoke with the suspect.

They said that Gifford went to the American Inn to “meet someone to get an understanding.” Gifford said he and Roberson got into a fight and both pulled out guns, Gifford shooting him three times before leaving the room and fleeing from the scene.