A 33-year-old woman who killed her friend in a downtown Portland shooting in May had a murder charge against her dismissed and was sentenced to 100 days in jail Thursday after admitting to not having a concealed handgun license at the time.

Sophia Adler told police she killed 28-year-old Gigi Pierce in self-defense during a fight on May 21 because Pierce was trying to stab her with a knife, according to the Multnomah County District Attorney's Office. Adler said she was scared when she saw the blade heading toward her face and shot Pierce while they were standing less than a foot away from each other. Adler fired her .45-caliber pistol while it was still hidden inside her purse.

Pierce was found wounded on a sidewalk near Southwest Second Avenue and Ash Street and later died at the scene. She was a transgender woman who grew up in Boise, Idaho. According to the district attorney's office, a relative of Pierce during Thursday's hearing described her as talented with "so much potential."

A Multnomah County grand jury declined to indict Adler on a murder charge in June, and she was accused of unlawful possession of a firearm, court records show. She pleaded guilty to that charge Thursday. Circuit Judge Patrick Henry also ordered Adler to two years of probation, to undergo drug, alcohol and mental health evaluations and to not contact Pierce's family without approval from her probation officer.

Adler will receive credit for jail time she has already served. She is scheduled to be released August 16, jail records show.

Adler's gun was legally bought, the district attorney's office said. It will be destroyed by authorities.

Court documents show Adler reported had been living at a Salvation Army women's shelter less than a block from the shooting and been previously diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder and schizophrenia. In a July 30 report from court staff, Adler reported being pregnant, admitted to using cocaine and methamphetamine the night she was arrested, had a history of drug abuse and that she had no prior treatment for alcohol or drug use.

Her lawyer reported a representative at the Salvation Army said Adler would no longer be eligible to receive the group's services or return to the woman's shelter, the report said.

According to the district attorney's office, a relative of Pierce's hoped Adler receives treatment and finds a home.

-- Everton Bailey Jr.

ebailey@oregonian.com

503-221-8343; @EvertonBailey