Nearly a year ago to the day, 18-year-old Silvano Velasquez stood in Multnomah County Circuit Court and got what might have been the biggest break of his life: 90 days in jail for firing off a gun, killing a 15-year-old Franklin High School student near a Southeast Portland MAX platform.

On Thursday, Velasquez, now 19, was back in the same courtroom for a new crime. And it was clear that he had squandered the opportunity -- a chance to turn around his life -- that had been given him.

Four months ago, Velasquez was arrested on accusations that he opened fire in North Portland's Northgate Park at night. Investigators say he was extremely drunk, and no one was hit. Several people flagged down a passing police officer and said Velasquez was the shooter.

That led to Thursday's hearing, when Velasquez pleaded guilty to unlawful use of a firearm -- his first felony -- and was sentenced to 2 1/2 years in prison. Judge Eric Bergstrom also found Velasquez in violation of his probation for two earlier misdemeanor convictions stemming from the shooting that left the 15-year-old Franklin High student dead.

That confrontation unfolded on the night of Oct. 11, 2013, when Abukar Madey and two friends walked up to Velasquez near the MAX platform at Southeast Holgate Boulevard. One of Madey's friends asked Velasquez if he was affiliated with a gang. By the time the encounter was over, Madey had pulled out a sawed-off shotgun, one friend had pointed a semi-automatic rifle at Velasquez and the other friend had punched Velasquez in the face.

Velasquez responded by firing two bullets into Madey's head. But a grand jury

Silvano Velasquez (far right) is pictured here at his March 2014 sentencing for unlawful use of a weapon and tampering with evidence for an October 2013 incident that left 15-year-old Abukar Madey dead.

found that Velasquez had acted in self-defense and declined to indict him on murder charges, which could have landed him in prison for the rest of his life.

Velasquez was sentenced in March 2014 to the 90-day jail term for misdemeanor unlawful use of a weapon and tampering with evidence. Velasquez contended that he was already turning his life around for good -- with plans to graduate with his high school class that June, then pay his dues by serving out his jail sentence in summer.

Fast forward to Thursday, and that all seemed like old history. Velasquez slouched in his seat and spoke in a barely audible voice as he answered the judge's procedural questions this second time around. He declined to make a statement when given a chance. And so began this exchange with the judge.

"So you're 19," the judge said. "I was hoping that after the last thing you got caught up in, we wouldn't see you again. And now we're back on a gun charge?"

"Yes," Velasquez said.

"...What do you want to do when you get out?" asked the judge.

"...Go to college," Velasquez said.

"That would be a much better plan than getting messed up in stupid stuff," the judge said.

"I hear you," Velasquez responded.

"You were already involved in one case where somebody died, right?" the judge continued. "That's what happens with guns. ... Never heard one good thing happen with some young person carrying a gun. It just doesn't happen."

If Velasquez takes the judge's words to heart, he will have another chance to build a new life without a felony on his record. If he remains crime-free for the next 10 years, he will be eligible to petition a court to expunge Thursday's felony conviction from his record.

-- Aimee Green

503-913-4197