Man Convicted in Student's Death

The shooting occurred after a friend of Martin's, a girl who attends Flowers, called Martin asking for a ride home, Pearson said. The girl said she and her friends were being harassed by teenagers from the Ardmore group, Pearson said.

Martin and several friends arrived in the two vehicles and picked up the girl and one or two other friends from near the school, according to court testimony. Martin and his friends exchanged hard looks and angry words with members of the Ardmore group, Pearson said. After dropping off the girl and the other friends, Martin and his friends piled into the cars and returned for payback, firing into a crowd, prosecutors said.

Assistant State's Attorney William D. Moomau dismissed Papirmeister's self-defense argument, saying there was no evidence anyone was firing at Martin and his friends. Picking up the girl who asked for a ride was a "rescue call," Moomau said. Returning with guns, Martin and his friends "wanted to act like enforcers, like gangsters," he said.

Last week, Marcus A. Reynolds, a longtime friend of Martin's, testified for the state that he was driving the Nissan. Under direct examination, Reynolds said he could not recall telling a police detective and a grand jury that Martin and another friend, Jeffrey D. Boddie, 18, were the gunmen. Reynolds, 19, said he could not even recall what was discussed when he met with Moomau and Pearson just 48 hours earlier.

In his closing statement, Pearson said Reynolds told Robert Turner, a homicide detective, that Martin fired from the rear passenger seat, on the driver's side. He said Reynolds told Turner that another friend was also in the back seat.

Reynolds, who was initially charged with murder, pleaded guilty to being an accessory after the fact, punishable by up to five years in prison in exchange for his cooperation. It was not clear whether his testimony jeopardized that plea deal.

Boddie is to go on trial later this year.