A judge in Spokane sentenced a 23-year-old man who shot and injured his parents during a mental health incident last year to four years in prison.

“You really got a good deal,” Spokane Superior Court Judge Annette Plese told Charlie Birkland, who pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of second-degree assault before sentencing.

Instead of being released from prison at age 40 for the previous attempted murder charge, he will be released from prison in his mid- to late 20s under an agreement reached between attorneys. He also has no prior criminal record.

Birkland shot and wounded his parents in their home south of Moran Prairie last August, court documents say. He drank several beers before starting an argument with his mother, loaded a gun he had previously taken from his stepfather’s safe, returned to continue the argument and shot both of them until the gun was empty.

According to the documents, he told police he planned to kill her and then himself.

Birkland’s mother and stepfather, Happi Jones and Clive Jones, were both injured in the shooting. According to court documents, Birkland’s mother told police he had a history of “mental health issues” that were undiagnosed but resulted in “manic” episodes that occurred frequently.

Plese and his lawyers pointed to Birkland’s mental health during the sentencing and recommended that he receive medication. They also said Birkland’s family does not see themselves as victims of the shooting and wants to be there for him when he is released from prison.

“It’s been a difficult road for Mr. and Mrs. Jones,” Spokane County Assistant District Attorney Jonathan Degen told Plese. “I don’t think they expected something like this to happen.”