The Alaska-based soldier responsible for the Christmas Day shooting of his friend and fellow soldier has been sentenced to 12 years in prison on Thursday.

The two had been up late on Christmas Eve drinking, and continued into the early hours of the morning. It was at that time that the celebration turned into tragedy in the matter of moments.

A military judge has concluded that Army Spc. Marshall Drake, 23, accidentally fired his handgun, a .45 caliber, at the face of the now-deceased Pfc. Grant Wise. Right before Drake discharged his weapon the two had woken up several of their fellow soldiers.

"I was a little shocked," said Pvt. David Hubbard, who witnessed the shooting. "Weapons aren't allowed in the barracks. I was the new guy. I didn't want to be weird about it. He was the senior guy, so I didn't want to be harping about rules."

The scene was so unreal that at first Hubbard believed it to be a prank. Apparently, Drake did not believe that his handgun had any live ammunition left in it.

"I thought it was a joke," Hubbard recalled. "I thought it was an elaborate prank. It was Christmas morning, and I just saw my buddy get shot. It didn't seem real."

The result was anything but funny. Drake tried his best to put pressure on the wound, but it was too late. Hubbard also claims that Drake attempted to get him to lie and tell officials that Hubbard had shot himself, something Hubbard ultimately did not do.

Hubbard said that he cannot explain how a live round got into the gun, as he had seen Drake empty it and dry-fire the gun several times. In the end, the court found Drake was still responsible for his friend's demise.

"It was an accident. However, it was an accident of his own making," Army spokesman John Pennell said.