Second-degree manslaughter is a criminal charge that can be brought against a person who recklessly causes the death of another person. In New York, it is a Class C felony and carries a minimum prison sentence of one to three years. The charge differs from first-degree manslaughter, which requires that the offender had an initial intent to cause physical injury or serious harm, though they did not intend to kill the person. Second-degree manslaughter can be charged in a variety of situations, including causing a death through culpable negligence, shooting another person with a firearm or other dangerous weapon as a result of negligently believing the other to be an animal, or negligently or intentionally permitting any animal known to have vicious propensities to run uncontrolled off the owners premises.