An Iowa City man charged with shooting three people on the city’s downtown pedestrian mall will claim a "stand your ground" defense at trial.
Lamar Wilson is accused of killing one person and injuring two others in an August shooting that police have said was not random.
Wilson’s attorneys submitted court documents Monday stating he intends to rely on self-defense, defense of others, defense against a forcible felony, defense of property, and the right to "stand your ground".
This appears to be Iowa’s first "stand your ground" claim in a shooting that occurred after the new law went into effect July 1.
It means if a person is in a place they have a lawful right to be present, they have no “duty to retreat” in using deadly force for self-defense. A jury trial is scheduled for Nov. 7 in Johnson County.
