The man’s family claimed he fired because he feared the victim would commit a hate crime against him for being LGBTQ+.

The trial of Tony Earls, charged with manslaughter in the shooting of 9-year-old Arlene Alvarez, has started in Houston.

Tony Earls Jr. is on trial for manslaughter in the shooting death of 9-year-old Arlene Alvarez in Houston in 2022.

After opening statements, the state called its first witness, an officer who responded to the scene of the deadly shooting.