Apr. 21, 2021 2:30p
(WGTD)---An element of self-defense was raised Wednesday by the attorney for the man accused of killing three people and wounding three others at Somers House Tavern early Sunday.
"Even within the criminal complaint there are issues as to what caused...this situation," said Public Defender Kristyne Watson at Rakayo Vinson's initial appearance Wednesday.
Vinson was charged with three counts of First Degree Intentional Homicide and three counts of Attempted First Degree Intentional Homicide.
According to the criminal complaint, several patrons were kicked out of the bar following a fistfight in which Vinson was punched in the face. The complaint doesn't find fault or go into details on that aspect of the case.
The owner of the bar pulled Vinson aside to calm him down, but then Vinson a few moments later was re-engaged by members of the first group. The complaint says Vinson was approached "in an aggressive manner" by Cedric Gaston and Atkeem Stevenson. According to the complaint, Stevenson and Gaston asked, "What's up?" Vinson answered, "You know what's up" and pulled out a gun and began firing.
Gaston and Stevenson were two of the men who died that night. The third fatality, Kevin Donaldson, apparently traded gunshots with Vinson afterward in a parking area across the street from the bar.
Donaldson, shot in the chest, flagged down a friend who had just pulled up to the bar for a ride to a hospital, where Donaldson was eventually pronounced dead.
Vinson apparently ran off and was arrested later in Mt. Pleasant. .
The scheduling of a preliminary hearing Wednesday was delayed after Vinson indicated that he was trying to hire a private attorney.
A status conference was scheduled for May 5th.
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