State said killing was an execution. But jury sides with accused, who claimed self-defense.

After a three-day trial, a jury on Friday found Shannon Le-Neir Montgomery not guilty of second-degree murder with a firearm.

Here's what happened at the trial:

Lawyers: Assistant State Attorneys Marissa Meyer and Tucker O'Neil for the state and defense attorneys Bill Ramputi and Kathryn Bennett. Jamie Sheppard, an investigator with Ramputi, was present during the trial and assisted the defense team.

About the case: Montgomery turned himself in after he was accused of fatally shooting 25-year-old Gerod Rawls. The shooting occurred at a block party in northwest Ocala on April 20, 2019.

Jurors: Five men and three women were sworn in on Nov. 29. Two of the eight jurors were alternates.

Trial: The trial began Nov. 29 and ended Dec. 1.

Security: Additional bailiffs were requested for the trial. There was a stand your ground hearing held in late October in this case, and no visitors supporting the victim or the accused were allowed into the courtroom at that time. The stand your ground motion was denied by the judge.

Witness and evidence: A total of 20 witnesses testified at trial and 24 pieces of evidence were introduced.

Judge's statement to those in attendance: The judge told family and friends sitting on opposite ends of the courtroom that she understands it has been a difficult and emotional time. However, she warned she doesn't want any outburst, comments or arguments. Herndon said anyone who could not control themselves would either be removed or arrested.

Deliberations: The jury, consisting of three men and three women, went to discuss the case at 6:04 p.m. Friday. They announced they had made up their minds at 7:02 p.m. The clerk read the verdict aloud at 7:16 p.m.

What's next? Ramputi asked the judge if Montgomery could be released on his own recognizance or if she could set bail for him. Montgomery was released on bond while the murder charge was pending, but during that time, he was arrested on charges of organized fraud and utter forged check. Those cases are still pending.

Prosecutors told the judge that Montgomery should remain in jail due to his other charges. The judge told the defense to file a motion seeking bail. A date was not set for that hearing. Montgomery remains at the jail for now.

Reactions: Montgomery was emotional and appeared relieved after the verdict was read aloud. His family members were also overwhelmed. Rawls' family and friends left the courtroom.

The State Attorney's Office said: "We appreciate the hard work of our prosecutors on this case, and respect the jury’s decision."

Ramputi said: "I'm happy for this young man who had to live with this for the last four years. I thank the jury for the verdict that was justified by the evidence and hope both sides can get closure and move on without any more violence and bloodshed."

Montgomery taking the witness stand: Defense attorney Bennett questioned Montgomery about the shooting. Montgomery said he was at the block party with his cousins when they saw a relative. He said the relative greeted them, and Rawls approached him and put his hands in his face.

He said Rawls mushed his face repeatedly, which backed him onto a car. Montgomery said he would've fallen if the vehicle had not been there.

As Rawls was mushing him, Montgomery said, Rawls threatened him: Don't contact my girlfriend. He said he felt cold metal on his body, and when he looked, he noticed Rawls was armed. He said he was afraid.

"I'm scared for my life," he recalled.

Montgomery said he had no option but to shoot Rawls "to protect my life."

Montgomery said he was carrying a gun for protection. He said he fired five times. He said he ran and then heard two shots fired in his direction. He estimated the entire episode unfolded in 15 seconds.

Prosecutor Meyer asked Montgomery about a message he sent to Rawls' girlfriend. Montgomery said the message was innocent and she didn't respond. The message was sent before the block party.

The prosecutor said Montgomery's versions of events differed from his cousins' testimony. At least one of them said they had not seen Rawls with a gun.

Montgomery was unable to say which parts of Rawls' body were hit during the shooting. The doctor who performed the autopsy said the victim was shot in the head, arm and leg.

Montgomery said that while running away, he bumped into someone and the gun fell. He said he searched for the weapon, but was unable to find it. The gun was never recovered.

Other witnesses: Multiple people took the stand and were questioned by the lawyers from the prosecution and the defense. The lawyers highlighted many inconsistent statements provided by witnesses.

Most of the disputes centered around what witnesses actually saw compared to what they heard, or answers given to Ocala police officers who investigated the shooting.

In one instance, one witness told the court she deliberately picked the wrong person from a photo lineup because she told detectives not to come to her residence and they showed up anyway. She didn't want them coming to her residence because the defendant's family lives near her.

Lawyers' closing arguments: Meyer told the court that many witnesses didn't want to be there, and they may have been combative. But they had nothing to gain and should be believed.

The prosecutor said the witness statements about the episode were consistent. The lawyer said everyone processed things differently because they had witnessed a tragic event.

"What happens here today has a bearing on their lives," Meyer said.

Meyer said the victim was happy that day. He had been promoted at work and he didn't have a gun.

She said police officers tried to preserve the evidence and maintain the integrity of the crime scene.

The witnesses said Rawls never had a gun, Meyer said. She added that if he had a weapon, it would've been near him.

The lawyer said the defense witnesses were biased and had something to gain because they're best friends, cousins and they do everything together.

She said mushing in the face is not a reason to commit murder, and argued that the shooting was not self-defense, but an execution. She said the two shots heard are irrelevant because by then Rawls was dead.

For the defense, Ramputi countered that the shooting was self-defense. He said the party was going fine, and no one had a problem until Rawls arrived. He said within minutes "chaos breaks out."

He said the community and both families have suffered, because no one wins in a case like this.

As for the the state witnesses: Ramputi said they "embellished" what they saw, and all but one of them was not credible.

In his opinion, Ramputi said the only credible witness was the medical examiner, whose testimony was consistent with what Montgomery said. Rawls was poking Montgomery in the face and Montgomery was leaning back. The first shot was to Rawls' leg. The next shot was to the stomach, then the arm.

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Ramputi said the defense witness' testimony was accurate, compared to the state witness' statements. He said Montgomery was minding his own business, not bothering anyone, when Rawls came up and everything changed.

"He's justified in saving his own life," Ramputi said of his client.

Contact Austin L. Miller at austin.miller@starbanner.com

This article originally appeared on Ocala Star-Banner: Jurors say Ocala man not guilty of second-degree murder