Michigan man accused of streaming shooting on Facebook
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}
The trial is underway for a Michigan man accused of breaking into a home and shooting a woman while streaming the attack on Facebook Live.
Anthony Gelia, 20, is charged with open murder, first-degree home invasion and felony firearms in the death of 26-year-old Brittany Southwell, the Jackson Citizen Patriot reported . An open murder charge allows the jury to decide between first- or second-degree murder.
Police allege Gelia broke into Southwell's home in Nov. 2016 and fired several shots. She died from a single gunshot wound, the medical examiner said. The bullet entered Southwell's ride side, punctured her lungs, hit her rib and hit her spine.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}
Authorities arrested Gelia that evening after they saw him in a white SUV matching the description of a vehicle leaving the scene. Gelia told officers he'd been holding a gun to his head when they stopped his vehicle.
Jackson Police Sgt. Wes Stanton interviewed Gelia the night of the arrest. A recording of the interview was played for the jury, and showed Gelia saying he "didn't want to hurt anyone."
The 25-minute Facebook Live recording that Gelia allegedly made before and during the shooting is also expected to be played for the jury.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}
Andrew Kirkpatrick, Gelia's attorney, said he won't deny much of what his client is accused of, but is seeking a lesser charge.
"By the end of this trial, I will ask you to find him guilty, but I ask you to find him guilty of the appropriate charge," Kirkpatrick said. "Everything he did that night was an act of human stupidity."
___
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}
Information from: Jackson Citizen Patriot, http://www.mlive.com/jackson