The jury in the Lamar Wilson first-degree murder trial will try to reach a verdict today.

As published in the Des Moines Register, the jury deliberated for a couple hours before going home on Feb. 2 after hearing closing arguments from lawyers debating on whether Wilson’s actions were reasonable during last summer’s Pedestrian Mall shooting.

Wilson’s attorney, Matt Shimanovsky, said the case has to be one of the clearest-cut cases of self-defense that could possibly be presented.

The incident was sparked by a Facebook post the day before the shooting about Daquan Jefferson, a friend of Wilson’s who died that day.

State witness Donte R. Taylor testified earlier that he did pull out a gun, which he had stolen, and kept it pointed it to the ground after Wilson shouted something at his group.

Wilson’s lawyers argued that Wilson’s actions could be justified since he felt his life was in danger.

As reported in the Register, Shimanovsky said the state can argue that no one pointed a gun at him, but the law doesn’t require that Wilson has to wait until someone points a gun or shoots at him for him to defend himself. Wilson did have a permit to carry firearms at the time of the incident.

If convicted of first-degree murder, Wilson will face the mandatory sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole.

— Gage Miskimen