Opening statements began Tuesday in the murder trial of 22-year-old Damian Martez Evans, accused of gunning down a man during a brawl at a Fourth of July house party in Colorado Springs last year.

Christopher Vazquez, 21, was found dead in the early hours of July 5 outside a home on the 4500 block of Jetwing Circle, off East Fountain Boulevard. Police responded just after 2 a.m. to reports of shots fired.

The prosecution showed jury members slides from the coroner’s autopsy report, which said Vazquez was shot five times. A gunshot to the pelvis and another to the chest caused major internal bleeding.

All bullets found in the victim’s body were found to be a match to a gun Evans allegedly had in his possession during the party, according to the prosecution. Evans’ defense attorney argued the gun had been dropped by another person during the brawl and the defendant had grabbed it and fired it in self-defense.

Evans’ trial is expected to last until the end of the month with several witnesses from the party under subpoenas to testify, according to the attorneys.

The former Rancho Liborio grocery at 1660 S. Circle Drive on Colorado Springs is being remodeled into office, warehouse and distribution space for Camerons Products, a Colorado Springs company that designs and wholesales cookware, grills and other kitchen and barbecue items. Camerons wll roughly triple the size of its operation and workforce when it completes its move next month. RICH LADEN, THE GAZETTE