PLYMOUTH -- Two half-brothers, accused of shooting four people and killing three of them in Plymouth, were in court on Friday.
The murders happened back in July, and on Friday one of the brothers admitted he did it to protect himself.
"My brother's innocent, man, like I never said that they lied. So you did all the shooting? Yeah, my brother, he innocent, man. I did it in self-defense," said Shawn Hamilton.
Hamilton and his half-brother Sawud Davis of Nanticoke, are accused of killing Bradley Swartwood, Nicholas Maldonado, and Lisa Adaunza at an apartment in Plymouth on July 7.
Maldonado's brother Danny survived the shooting, and took the witness stand during the preliminary hearing in Nanticoke. Maldonado testified the brothers were at his apartment, and court papers said they were there to buy drugs.
Maldonado said Hamilton had a gun, and Maldonado lunged at him. After a brief struggle, Hamilton shot him in the head, and then in the chest and arm. The others were also all shot in the head multiple times.
Outside of court, the mother of Danny and Nicholas Maldonado exchanged words with the mother of the half-brothers.
Shawna, who didn't want to say her last name, told Newswatch 16 her sons didn't do it.
"They're covering up for someone and I'm working my hardest to get to the bottom of it. But I don't think my kids wouldn't tell me this one. I know everything that goes on," said Shawna.
Assistant district attorney William Finnigan said both brothers can be convicted of homicide.
"His brother will likely spend life in prison. You don't have to actually pull the trigger to be found guilty of the charge that's going to get you a life imprisonment term, and that's likely what's going to happen here," said Finnigan.
At the end of the hearing, the judge ruled there was enough evidence to send the half-brothers to trial in Luzerne County court.