COLUMBUS, GA (WTVM) -
What started out as a birthday celebration turned dangerous when shots rang out, leaving a young father dead.
Officials say lyrics from a song by hip hop rapper Future sparked the sequence of unfortunate events that ended with a 19-year-old teen losing his life.
Ron Blair is on trial, accused of shooting Keon Coleman in the head in 2012.
News Leader 9's Brittany Dionne was the only TV news reporter there for Tuesday morning's testimony.
The prosecution says a friend of Ron Blair sang lyrics from the song towards a group of women that were with the victim Keon Coleman.
The lyrics are "If that's your h**, that's my h** too."
The prosecution says Coleman took offense to the song lyrics and confronted the singer.
Opening statements started the day with the state claiming Blair shot Coleman during that confrontation for no apparent reason. Blair's defense claims he had a reason – self defense.
The victim's mother Keyona Coleman was the first witness to take the stand. Her testimony grew very emotional when the prosecution showed her a picture of her son's autopsy photo.
"What is that? My dead son. My dead baby. Father God give me strength," Keyona exclaimed. "He took me through the worst, he'll take me through this."
The emotional testimony left several jurors with tears in their eyes.
Defense attorney Stacey Jackson cited the jurors' reaction to the testimony as reason for a mistrial. His request was denied.
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