You may remember the sad case of Thomas Grant, a Pennsylvania man who last Halloween accidentally shot his 9-year-old cousin with a shotgun after confusing her skunk costume for a real skunk. On Monday, Grant pleaded no contest to charges of reckless endangerment and misdemeanor simple assault and avoided jail time.

The accident occurred last October on Grant's mother's property. Somehow, Grant mistook the nine-year-old girl, who was dressed as a skunk, in a black hat and black shirt with a white tassel running down its middle, for a real skunk, despite the fact that everyone involved was reportedly at a Halloween party.

After the shooting, the girl, who still hasn't been identified, underwent surgery to repair damages to several internal organs and her spine. She still undergoes regular tests for lead poisoning.

Making the accidental shooting even more unbelievable is the fact that toxicology test results revealed that Grant had no drugs or alcohol in his system.

Authorities dropped charges of aggravated assault charges against Grant in February. But on Monday, Beaver County Judge Harry Knafelc sentenced him to two years probation, during which time he is also banned from hunting, and ordered him to pay restitution to the girl.

[via NY Daily News]

To contact the author of this post, email taylor@gawker.com