One of three men responsible for the shooting death of Laylah Petersen has been sentenced to 30 years in prison.
The sentence, handed down on Thursday morning, also carries 19 years of extended supervision.
24-year-old Arlis Gordon previously pleaded guilty to second-degree reckless homicide and three counts of recklessly endangering safety.
Prosecutors said Gordon fired shots at a home near 58th Street and Fairmount Street, where the 5-year-old Petersen was inside with her grandfather, on November 6, 2014.
Petersen was hit and killed by the gunfire.
After investigators arrested Gordon and two other men, Milwaukee Police Chief Ed Flynn said the shooters targeted the wrong house.
A criminal complaint alleges Gordon was seeking revenge against the accused killer of his step-brother, who was found not guilty by a jury on November 6, 2014 -- the same day Petersen was shot.
Speaking before Judge Jeffrey Wagner handed down Gordon's sentence, prosecutor Sara Beth Lewis said the state was not recommending a specific length of sentence under the terms of Gordon's plea agreement.
However, Lewis called Gordon's offenses very serious and very violent.
"The second degree reckless homicide involved a disregard for human life," she said, noting the Petersen shooting occurred during the dinner hour when it was reasonable to believe the home would be occupied.
Lewis added the shooting endangered not just Petersen, but also her grandparents and little sister who were also in the home.
"It's simply the kind of thing that leaves all in the community very fearful," Lewis said.
Lewis said Gordon did express remorse about Petersen's death, although he did not turn himself in following the shooting.
Petersen's friends and family members are still coping with their loss.
"My life was almost destroyed that day. My daughter meant more to me than anything in the world," said her father, Robert Petersen.
"We never hurt anybody. We never did anything to deserve this. We were just good people who loved each other," Petersen said.
"He killed my daughter by shooting into the wrong house," Petersen said, "because he is not a man. That was a cowardice move."
Gordon's attorney called the shooting tragic. But he said Gordon was distraught, and using drugs and alcohol, in the wake of the jury's decision earlier that day.
"This was fueled by anger, drugs, alcohol and emotion," said attorney Thomas Harris. "Nothing excuses what Mr. Gordon did. But this does provide a rationale - an explanation."
"This was a one time thing, in which his step-brother was murdered and his (step-brother's) assailant got off and was able to get acquitted," Harris said. "Mr. Gordon was adamant that should not have happened."
Gordon apologized to Petersen's family before Judge Jeffrey Wagner sentenced him.
"I would like to give my condolences to the family and friends of Laylah Petersen," Gordon said.
The other two men involved in the shooting have already been sentenced.
A jury in September found Carl Barrett, 21, guilty of first-degree reckless homicide and three counts of recklessly endangering safety. He was sentenced to 65 years in prison last week.
25-year old Paul Farr, who police said drove Barrett and Gordon to the home where Petersen was shot, was previously sentenced to five months in prison after pleading guilty to one count of aiding a felon.
