James Mize was indicted on charges of malice murder, felony murder based on an aggravated assault, two additional counts of aggravated assault, and three counts of possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime. The jury acquitted Mize of malice murder and found him guilty of the remaining counts. The trial court entered judgments of conviction and sentenced Mize to life imprisonment and a consecutive fifteen-year term. Mize appeals from the denial of his amended motion for new trial.1 Finding no reversible error, we affirm. 1. Evidence adduced at trial authorized a jury to find that on September 14, 2001, Mize killed William Smith by shooting him four times. The murder occurred at the Hutcheson Road Hunting Club located in Glascock County. On the evening in question, Mize joined Smith, Smith’s son Billy and Billy’s friend, Brian Orr, at their campsite to eat dinner. Smith had never met Mize until that day. While socializing, Mize became intoxicated Mize told police that he had consumed 12 beers and a half-pint of tequila and fought with Billy. After the altercation, Mize walked over to his pick-up truck and Smith joined him at the truck. Billy and Orr overheard Smith talking to Mize in “conversational tones.” Shortly thereafter they heard numerous gunshots and as they rushed forward they saw Mize pointing the .22 caliber Luger he wore holstered to his waist at Smith, who had fallen to the ground. Mize pointed the gun at Billy and Orr and said “I see you, I see you” Orr distracted Mize while Billy knocked him to the ground. Smith died from four gunshot wounds, three to his chest and one to his abdomen. The forensic pathologist noted that one bullet caused a paralyzing injury to Smith’s spinal cord and further noted that based on the bullet trajectories during the time the shots were fired, “there was some change in position of either the person doing the shooting or the person being shot.” A firearms expert testified that the Luger had been fired six times and that the trigger of the weapon had to be pulled each time the weapon fired. At trial, Mize claimed that he shot Smith in self-defense after Smith attempted to grab Mize’s gun from the holster. He contended that the gun fired accidentally when the men wrestled and the gun became wedged in a metal brace Mize wore to protect his wrist.
This evidence was sufficient to enable a rational trier of fact to find proof of appellant’s guilt of felony murder, the aggravated assaults and possession of a firearm during the commission of the crimes beyond a reasonable doubt. Jackson v. Virginia , 443 U.S. 307 99 SC 2781, 61 LE2d 560 1979; Voyles v. State , 249 Ga. 783 294 SE2d 502 1982.
