A Whitman County Superior Court jury has found George Melvin Harris III, 26, guilty of manslaughter for the 2021 shooting of his Pullman roommate. The jury deliberated for approximately 9 hours before reaching a verdict of 2nd degree felony manslaughter on Friday afternoon. Harris had also faced charges of 1st degree manslaughter but was convicted on the lesser charge.

The incident occurred in September 2021 near a large party on Pullman’s College Hill, where Harris shot and killed 23-year-old Liban Barre. Additionally, he allegedly shot and seriously injured Brandon Gray, a former Washington State University football player. However, Gray did not cooperate with investigators, which hindered prosecutors from pursuing charges related to that shooting. Harris claimed he acted in self-defense during the incident.

The Pullman Police Department conducted an extensive investigation into the shooting before charges were filed in June of the following year. Harris is now facing a sentence of just over 5 years in prison. He was taken into custody by the Whitman County Sheriff’s Office and is currently held on a $100,000 bond. Sentencing is scheduled for next month, and Harris’s trial began on Monday.