Judge weighs Stand Your Ground immunity in Columbia graduation shooting

Tonie Wilson is asking a South Carolina judge for Stand Your Ground immunity from charges stemming from a June 2024 shooting at a Columbia graduation party that killed 16-year-old Julian Keel, an innocent bystander. Wilson testified that he feared for his life after prior threats and a perceived laser sight, and that he fired back with a gun a friend gave him for protection without seeing who was shooting. His attorneys argue he acted in self-defense, while prosecutors challenge why he was armed and did not leave, and point to testimony from partygoers describing Wilson carrying a rifle near the crowd. The judge has not yet ruled on whether the case can proceed to trial.