A Fern Park man who shot his “uncle” to death after they argued over his keeping a gun around children has been sentenced to 20 years in prison.

A Seminole County jury convicted JOEL T. FERRER, 25, of manslaughter in April for killing David N. Jackson, who had taken in Ferrer at a Fern Park apartment he shared with Ferrer’s aunt and their four kids. At a hearing June 4, Circuit Judge Michael Rudisill sentenced Ferrer to prison followed by 10 years of probation.

At  trial, prosecutors Stewart Stone and Rich Coln presented witnesses who said Ferrer got mad in July 2023 when Jackson, 41, found him handling his semi-automatic handgun and told him he didn’t want it in his home.  When the older man went out to the breezeway to smoke a cigar, Ferrer followed him, and words were exchanged.

Video from a Ring camera at the victim’s apartment’s door, showed  the unarmed victim walking fast toward Ferrer during the argument when the defendant opened fire, hitting Jackson seven times including a shot in the back.  Ferrer testified he was scared that Jackson would hit him or push him down some nearby outdoor stairs.  

Under cross examination by Stone, Ferrer conceded to having a happy relationship with Jackson and his aunt, saying he had just visited the Aquatica water park in Orlando with the family. He also conceded to drinking shots of Jack Daniels before the shooting.

Stone called Ferrer’s sentence “appropriate,” adding that the victim’s family was pleased with it.