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Lemmon Man Arrested For Manslaughter

A weekend shooting left one man dead and another person in custody for manslaughter. Saturday night 32-year-old Leon Paulson died after he was shot.

Authorities say 22-year-old Brady Hooker is accused of shooting and killing a man at his home in Lemmon, South Dakota during an argument that escalated. Hooker faces first-degree manslaughter.

Attorney General Marty Jackley says the difference between murder and manslaughter charges mainly applies to intent.

"It’s a higher level of intent when somebody’s commits murder. Manslaughter can be the result of heat of passion or other reasons. They obviously are both very serious charges, but they have a different intent or state of mind," Jackley says. "So in this instance at this point, we took a look at all the factors, including where this occurred, and made a decision that first degree manslaughter made sense initially. And once the autopsy, the witnesses are talked to, any forensics are examined, there will be further charging decisions."

Jackley says manslaughter carries a significant range of sentences, from no prison time to life behind bars and up to a $50,000 fine. The Attorney General says the investigation is ongoing.

Kealey Bultena grew up in South Dakota, where her grandparents took advantage of the state’s agriculture at nap time, tricking her into car rides to “go see cows.” Rarely did she stay awake long enough to see the livestock, but now she writes stories about the animals – and the legislature and education and much more. Kealey worked in television for four years while attending the University of South Dakota. She started interning with South Dakota Public Broadcasting in September 2010 and accepted a position with television in 2011. Now Kealey is the radio news producer stationed in Sioux Falls. As a multi-media journalist, Kealey prides herself on the diversity of the stories she tells and the impact her work has on people across the state. Kealey is always searching for new ideas. Let her know of a great story! Find her on Facebook and twitter (@KealeySDPB).