Dubuque, Iowa — A local teenager is standing trial this week on charges of attempted murder after police say he fired a handgun during a fight in a residential alley last fall.

Ahamad R. Atkins Jr., who was seventeen at the time of the incident, is accused of shooting at another teen during an altercation on the morning of October twenty-fourth, twenty twenty-five. The shooting took place in an alley between White and Jackson Streets near Seventeenth Street.

According to police and court records, Atkins and another person were fighting with eighteen-year-old Kareem Sehwail. Video from the scene reportedly shows Atkins pulling a gun from his waistband and firing one shot as Sehwail tried to run away. The bullet missed Sehwail but struck the windshield of a nearby parked car.

After the shooting, Atkins and the other person left the area and were later picked up by a vehicle. Police used traffic cameras to track them and arrested Atkins in East Dubuque, Illinois.

Prosecutors say Atkins confessed to the shooting during a recorded phone call with his mother. He was originally charged in juvenile court but was later certified to be tried as an adult. He has pleaded not guilty to charges that include attempted murder, going armed with intent, and reckless use of a firearm.

The trial began Tuesday in Dubuque County District Court. Prosecutors argue Atkins brought the gun to the meeting and used it during the fight. Defense attorneys say the incident was a dispute between acquaintances that got out of hand, and that Atkins was upset afterward.

Jurors are being asked to decide whether Atkins intended to kill the victim or if the shooting happened in the heat of the moment during a mutual fight.

The case has drawn local attention because the bullet narrowly missed bystanders in a nearby car. The trial is expected to last several days.

This article was written based on publicly available police reports and open court records.