Two fatal shootings that happened within two weeks of each other in Troy are being treated as potential self-defense shootings according to District Attorney Tom Anderson.

“There appears to be substantial evidence that this conduct may well have been defensible conduct,” Anderson said. “It would render these persons immune from prosecution, so there needs to be a complete, finalized case reviewed and presented to a grand jury before any decision to charge is made.”

The first fatal shooting took place on Saturday, March 25 at Watkins Court.

Police arrived to find Jemarion Deandre Edwards, 27, dead of a gunshot wound.

“There were a lot of people on Watkins Court when Edwards was shot,” said Troy Police Chief Randall Barr.

Two weeks later, Bobby Tremain barrow, 41, was shot and killed on Hanchey Street.

Police responded to the shooting at approximately 12:49 a.m. Saturday, April 7 in the 600 block of Hanchey Street and found two men suffering from gunshot wounds, Barr said.

“The other victim was a 39-year-old male from Luverne,” Barr said. “This subject was transported to Troy Regional Medical Center with non-life-threatening injuries. He was treated for his injuries and released from the emergency room.”

Although suspects have been identified in both cases according to Barr, they have not been named publically.

Anderson referenced Section 13A-3-23 of the Code of Alabama, which states that “A person is justified in using physical force upon another person in order to defend himself or a third person from what he reasonably believes to be the use or imminent use of unlawful physical force by that other person, and he may use a degree of force which he reasonably believes to be necessary for the purpose.”

Anderson said the case is still being investigated so that it can be presented to a grand jury that will decide whether to charge anyone with a crime.

“We need to do a complete and thorough review of the facts before a decision is made.,” Anderson said. “In a situation like this, you want to bring witnesses in front of the grand jury.”