A man in his backyard with a high-powered rifle shoots into a neighbor's house, killing the neighbor. What crime did he commit?

• A. Voluntary manslaughter
• B. Involuntary manslaughter
• C. Murder in the second degree
• D. Misdemeanor assault

Answer: (B)

Killing someone who was not the target of a planned killing and results from reckless conduct fits involuntary manslaughter. When someone fires a high-powered rifle into a neighbor’s house, they display a gross disregard for human life and create a substantial risk of death. That kind of criminal negligence or extreme recklessness can cause a death, even if there was no intent to kill.

Voluntary manslaughter requires intent to kill (often in the heat of passion), which isn’t described here. Second-degree murder would involve malice or a depraved indifference to life that leads to a killing, which is a stronger form of culpability than reckless conduct in this scenario. Misdemeanor assault doesn’t cover a death. So the act is best described as involuntary manslaughter.