Staff photo / Ed Runyan Mekhi Venable looks at his attorney John Juhasz during Day 1 of his aggravated murder trial Monday morning.

YOUNGSTOWN — The first witnesses in the Mekhi Venable aggravated murder trial will testify after lunch today in Mahoning County Common Pleas Court. The defense will argue that Venable acted in self defense when he shot and killed Jacob Moore, 21, Sept. 29, 2022, on New York Avenue near Logan Avenue on the North Side.

A jury was seated this morning in the courtroom of Judge Maureen Sweeney and then opening statements were given.

Pat Fening, assistant county prosecutor, told jurors in his opening statement that Venable shot Moore intentionally, but John Juhasz, Venable’s attorney, told the jury Venable shot Moore only because it was a case of “shoot or be killed.”