COLUMBUS, Ga. (WRBL)— Testimony began Tuesday morning in the trial of a man accused of killing his ex-girlfriend’s new boyfriend in Sept. of 2021. Jurors are not tasked with deciding whether the defendant shot the victim; rather was it done in self-defense.

“On September 7th of 2021, at approximately 2:30 a.m., Quincey Wade shot and killed Maurice Vaughn Jackson,” Assistant District Attorney, Donald Kelly, said during opening statements. “That will not be in dispute in this case.”

Testimony shows Wade entered the residence his ex-girlfriend, Channa Powell, was staying in uninvited. Wade then kicked in the bathroom door both Powell and Jackson were hiding in.

“At the end of the day, the evidence is going to show that as they are having this conversation in the bathroom, Mr. Wade is facing towards where Ms. Powell is,” Defense Attorney William Kendrick said. “Which is kind of in an area behind the bathroom door, across from the bathroom mirror, and they had this conversation, and at that point Mr. Wade is shot twice. Shot twice by Mr. Jackson, who comes out of the shower curtain unbeknownst to Mr. Wade, doesn’t even know he’s there, and shoots him twice. In response to that, Mr. Wade fires rounds to defend himself.”

The state argues there are limitations to self-defense; because Wade entered the home uninvited, Kelly says Wade was the aggressor in this case.

“In a way, this case is about self-defense, but it’s about Maurice Vaughn Jackson defending himself and Channa,” Kelly said.

Testimony painted the picture of years’ worth of domestic disputes and violence between Wade and Powell. At the time of the shooting, Powell was pregnant with Wade’s child; however, she was seeing Jackson.

Here’s what Powell testified happened moments before shots rang out.

Kelly: Did Mr. Wade say anything at that point?

Powell: Yes.

Kelly: What did he say?

Powell: He put the gun to my head, and he put the gun to my stomach saying he will kill me and my child.

“At that point, Maurice Jackson started out of the tub. He had a gun. And you will hear that he could legally own a gun,” Kelly said to jurors during opening statements. “He had a gun, and he took it out. 16 shots were fired in that bathroom. We do not know who shot first.”

The defense argued Powell never told this to police, instead she made up the statement of Wade threatening to shoot her.

“When Ms. Powell was first interviewed and talked to about this incident, she said nothing about Mr. Wade pulled the gun on her, put it to her stomach, put it to head saying, ‘I’m going to shoot you and the baby.’ That’s all cap, that’s all made up,” Kendrick said.

Testimony is expected to continue Tuesday in front of Judge Bobby Peters.