Attorney says defendant pushed alleged shooter to the edge when social media spat turned violent
TAMPA, Fla. - It may have started as a political spat on Facebook, but it quickly turned nasty and personal. Attorney Bjorn Brunvand represents Brian Sebring who said Alex Stephens threatened his client and his client's family.
"It escalated to the point where the victim was threatening Sebring himself, his family, his wife, his kids," said Brunvand.
Sebring is accused of ultimately shooting Stephens, who survived that shooting but was later killed in an unrelated confrontation with a different man.
Now, new evidence in the case shows the alleged victim was no saint.
Text messages released in the case between Sebring and Stephens are so graphic and vulgar we can't even show them to you.
Brunvand says Stephens' texts taunted and bullied Sebring, calling his young son who is mentally disabled derogatory names.
"It was very inflammatory and frightening for Mr. Sebring and it gave rise to great concerns that he and his family were in danger," explained Brunvand.
After a series of verbal attacks, Sebring drove to Stephens' home. Brunvard says Stephens confronted Sebring as he sat in his car. There are witnesses who said Stephens didn't come empty-handed; he may have been armed, too.
Back when it happened, Donna Shalnik, who rented to Stephens, watched it all unfold.
"I heard two shots as I'm running down the hall," said Shalnik.
This week Sebring was ready to fight the charges against him, but his attorney hopes to convince prosecutors, with their victim dead and evidence showing his taunting threats, that it's best to drop the case.
Brunvand says if that doesn't, work he will file a stand your ground motion and let a judge decide.