KALAMAZOO, Mich. (NEWSCHANNEL 3) - A 21-year-old man who pleaded guilty to killing his girlfriend will spend at least 15 years behind bars, he learned Monday.

Korbin Thomas shot and killed 21-year-old Jazmyne Gibson in her Copper Beech townhome in Kalamazoo County in January.

There were a lot of tears at today's sentencing. Gibson's mother, Tamika Henry, tells us there's no winner today, as two families suffer in this tragedy.

It's been nearly nine months since her daughter was killed, but she says each day is a struggle.

Jazmyne Gibson was full of life. She had two passions: children and baking.

"She loved to bake, loved to bake. thought about it morning, noon and night," Henry said. "Her slogan for Gibby's Goodies was: 'sharing love, one cupcake at a time.'"

Henry says Jazmyne wanted to combine her passions, but that all ended on January 11.

Henry spoke with her just hours before Korbin Thomas shot and killed her.

"'Have a great day tomorrow, and I'll talk to you later. Love you.'" Henry said. "And that was our last conversation."

The next call came from Bronson Hospital.

"And she said your daughter has been shot, and I said--I think I...I don't remember--my husband says that I kept saying who shot my baby, like why would someone do that," Henry said.

The courtroom was packed for Thomas' sentencing. Jazmyne's family finally had a chance to confront the man--who admitted to pulling the trigger.

The pain, they say, was just as strong today as it was nearly nine months ago.

"You chose to shoot my granddaughter while her back was turned. You shot her in the back of the head. We all have a choice to do good or evil and you chose the latter," Gibson's grandmother said to Thomas Monday.

"I was robbed of the opportunity to pick up a wedding dress with my daughter and go for cake testing," Henry said.

As each victim impact statement was read, Thomas remained without emotion.

And then, he spoke for the first time.

"I would like to tell everybody how sorry I am for my actions," he said. "I was just playing around, joking around. I didn't think the gun was loaded."

"I look at a tragedy that has affected two families. I look at two lives that are destroyed and you know, I don't...I don't hate him," Henry said. "You know, I'm not out for vengeance; I pray for him. I pray for the family. Nobody wins in something like this."

Thomas was sentenced to a minimum of 15 years behind bars, and a maximum of 50 years, for second-degree murder.

Thomas also stated it was the same gun he'd used for target practice with family members a few days earlier.

As part of the agreement a felony firearm charge was dismissed.