Opinion ID: 2379044
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: sufficiency of the evidence

Text: Mr. Buchanan and Mr. Tobar were friends who had gotten into an argument during an afternoon outing with other persons. After Mr. Buchanan returned to his home, Mr. Tobar knocked on Buchanan's door and was allowed to enter. Despite Tobar's stated intention to apologize, the argument flared again. Lilly Hodges, Mr. Buchanan's fiance who lived with him and their two children, witnessed the shooting. She testified that she had asked Tobar to leave but he refused. At some point she called Mr. Tobar's wife a name, and he then grabbed her and threatened to hit her. Ms. Hodges testified further that Buchanan had gone to the back room of their mobile home, gotten a rifle, and then returned to the front. Ms. Hodges had by then broken free. Buchanan again asked Tobar to leave, but Tobar advanced toward Buchanan who then shot Tobar. Mr. Buchanan did not deny the shooting. His testimony was similar to that of Ms. Hodges. She testified she heard two or three shots. Mr. Buchanan testified he blacked out after the first shot. He said he had no intention of killing Tobar but shot at him because Tobar was advancing on him and he felt fear for himself, Ms. Hodges, and the children. The weapon used was a .22 caliber semiautomatic rifle with a sawed off stock. Ronald Andrejack, a firearms and tool-mark examiner of the State Crime Laboratory, testified that it was necessary to pull the trigger of that rifle for each shot fired. Dr. David De Jong, Associate Medical Examiner with the Crime Laboratory testified that Mr. Tabor suffered five bullet wounds, two entered his front and three entered his back. Mr. Buchanan argues that the only evidence about premeditation and deliberation came from the only two witnesses to the shooting, Ms. Hodges and himself, and that no such intent could be found as a result of their testimony. Be that as it may, we hold the jury's decision is supported by the evidence of the nature of the weapon and the manner of its use. In determining whether there was premeditation and deliberation, the jury may consider the nature of the weapon used, the extent and location of the wounds inflicted, and Buchanan's actions. Tillman v. State, 300 Ark. 132, 777 S.W.2d 217 (1989); Ricketts v. State, 292 Ark. 256, 729 S.W.2d 400 (1987). Given the five bullet wounds, their location in Mr. Tobar's body, and the nature of the weapon used, we cannot say there was no question of fact for the jury to decide, and we have been given no convincing argument or citation of authority which might cause us to overturn its decision with respect to Mr. Buchanan's intent when he fired the fatal shots.