SAN ANTONIO – A man on trial for the murder of his roommate in 2022 claims what he did was in self-defense.
Quovante Walls is accused of fatally shooting Mario Miller in the head on May 31, 2022.
Miller was found inside a Northwest Side apartment after a neighbor called 911 when they heard a gunshot.
On Thursday, Walls took the stand in his own defense and said Miller was trying to attack him after they argued about how messy the apartment was.
Walls said Miller grabbed a gun, and the two fought over it until he was able to get control of it. But then Walls said Miller grabbed scissors and went after him with them.
“I went into my bathroom and held the door closed with my body and tried to de-escalate the situation,” Walls said.
Then, Walls said Miller grabbed his rent money and put it in a backpack owned by Miller.
“He was continuing to make threats like, ‘I’m going to stab you.’ ‘I’m going to kill you,’” Walls said, referring to Miller.
When Walls was able to get out of the bathroom, he said he fired one shot to scare Miller into leaving.
“It wasn’t my intention to necessarily hit him; it was to scare him,” Walls said.
That self-defense claim is one the jury will have to consider when they deliberate.
If found guilty, Walls faces up to life in prison.