It was an emotional moment in the Page County Circuit Courtroom Tuesday morning, as 19 year-old James Lee Shrader pleaded guilty to the shooting death of his 15 year-old girlfriend.

The victim has only been identified in official arrest records by her initials, which are G.V.F. WHSV has made the editorial decision not to release her name since she was a minor.

In court on Tuesday, the Commonwealth's Attorney's office presented evidence they would have presented if the case had gone to trial, including the gun. Assistant Commonwealth Attorney, Ilona White, explained how Shrader was loaned the .22 caliber pistol by a friend to fix it. She also explained the nature of the relationship between Shrader and the victim, as well as what happened the day before the shooting.

White also presented the timeline from when the first 911 call was received, including the frantic hunt for the gun before EMTs could help the victim and the efforts to save her life. When EMTs arrive on-scene to aid a gunshot victim, the firearm has to be located before assistance can be provided (in order to keep first responders safe), and, in this case, Shrader did not initially reveal the location of the gun, which delayed EMT response by a valuable few minutes.

Shrader pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter, unlawful discharge of a firearm, felonious handling of a firearm, use of a firearm in the commission of a felony and the use of a firearm by a felon.

Shrader was facing a second degree murder charge, but the Commonwealth's Attorney's office says they were not able to prove malice and intent.

During interviews with investigators, Shrader told police he was messing with the gun and that it was pointed in the victim's general direction when he pulled the trigger twice, back in September. She was shot in the head, and died two days later at UVA Medical Center. She was just weeks into her freshman year at Page County High School.

White tells WHSV, "The work that everyone did on this case to prove what we could prove, to hold him accountable, and get evidence to hold him accountable for what happened, the loss of a 15 year-old's life. We all, it's not just a job for any of us, it's a dedication to justice."

She says her heart goes out to the victim's family.

Shrader is scheduled to be sentenced in November. He will be held without bond until then.