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Probation in tot's shooting

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Published March 27, 2004

MIAMI - A man was sentenced to five years' probation Friday for the death of his 3-year-old son who shot himself with his father's gun.

Prosecutors said Travis Jenkins, 26, improperly stored the gun that Travis Jr. found in his car.

If Jenkins completes a gun safety course, forfeits his gun and concealed-firearm license and serves 200 hours of community service, the conviction will be expunged from his record and he will be eligible to end his probation two years early, prosecutors said.

Jenkins had stepped away from the car to talk to a friend on Jan. 19, when his son found a holstered 9mm semiautomatic pistol near the driver's-side floorboard. He began playing with the gun and it went off. The bullet pierced the child's forehead.

Soldier's body found

KEY WEST - A body found floating Friday off this island city belonged to a soldier who disappeared three days ago during a helicopter exercise, the Army said.

The 20-year-old soldier, whose name was not released, was dropped into the water off Fleming Key from a helicopter Tuesday evening. He signaled he was in distress and sank without a trace. Boats with divers, helicopters and a plane spent days looking for him.

Just after 7 a.m. Friday, the body was seen by a civilian boater who called authorities, the Army's Special Operations Command said.

The Army is investigating the death.

Journal: Others targeted

MIAMI - A 14-year-old boy accused of murdering a classmate planned specifically to kill him and another schoolmate in the school restroom, according two pages of his journal released Thursday. Michael Hernandez's college-age sister was the third named target on his three-name "hit list," according to the journal.

A judge released the two edited pages of the eighth-grader's journal over defense objections, a week after 41 pages were issued.

Jaime Rodrigo Gough was found bleeding to death from stab wounds to the neck in a restroom at Southwood Middle School on Feb. 3.

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