Long Beach man guilty in neighbor's death

A Long Beach man was acquitted of murder charges but convicted of manslaughter Tuesday when a Nassau jury found that he shot his neighbor in March 2010 after the two fought about their dogs.

Casey Fitzgerald, 21, faces 7 to 25 years in prison when Judge James McCormack sentences him on Jan. 17.

Lawyers in the case said Fitzgerald and his neighbor, Ernest Cummings Jr., 48, who witnesses said was a dog breeder, got into an argument in front of Fitzgerald's East Hudson Street home.

During the argument, Fitzgerald fired three shots from a revolver, hitting Cummings once in the face between his left eye and nose, prosecutors said. Cummings was pronounced dead a short time later at a hospital, prosecutors said.

Fitzgerald's lawyer, Jeff Groder of Mineola, said his client only shot Cummings because Cummings had a gun and was making a move to use it.

"Mr. Fitzgerald is gratified he was not convicted of murder, but he does not agree with the verdict, as it has always been his contention that he was defending himself," Groder said.

The jury deliberated for five days before reaching its verdict Tuesday.