A teenager was shot in the back during a fight at a St. George club, allegedly sparked by his teenage friend flashing a gun. Prosecutors allege Khyri Smith-Williams, 19, took the weapon to a reggae party at the Royal Artillery Association club early on Easter Sunday, April 4.

He was accompanied by his friend, Shawn Williams, 18.

The party ended in bloodshed when Mr. Williams got shot in the back allegedly by Dwayne Signor, 29, who grabbed the weapon during a brawl.

"There was an argument, and when you mix young men, alcohol and guns, this is what happens in that sort of situation," said prosecutor Robert Welling as he opened the Supreme Court trial of Smith-Williams and Signor yesterday.

He explained that Smith-Williams is from Sandys and Mr. Williams is from Paget. A number of St. George's men in the bar were involved in the fight that broke out around 3 a.m.

However, Mr. Welling explained: "This is not a rivalry case. Khyri Smith-Williams and Shawn Williams, his friend, are friendly with some of the St. George's men."

A heated argument began when Mr. Williams offended one of the St. George's men, Kyle Tannock, by asking who he was.

Another St. George's man named Jahdal Denbrook a cousin of Mr. Williams intervened to calm the situation. However, the prosecutor said, Smith-Williams then sparked the fight that led to the bloodshed. "It was at that stage that Khyri Smith-Williams, knowing that he was armed, despite being outnumbered by the St. George's men, became argumentative and confrontational with Jahdal Denbrook and Kyle Tannock," Mr. Welling alleged.

"That is where the confrontation started. Jahdal Denbrook and Kyle Tannock, we say, were threatened by the actions of Khyri Smith-Williams who pulled up his shirt. It's our case that was a quite deliberate demonstration that he had a gun in the waistband of his jeans. And their reaction was to attack Khyri Smith-Williams in order to get the gun."

Mr. Welling outlined the ensuing brawl, which allegedly saw Mr. Denbrook headbutt Smith-Williams so fiercely that his head went through a plastic partition window. Mr. Tannock also joined the fight. Smith-Williams was badly injured, getting knocked unconscious, stabbed in the upper left chest and slashed with a knife on his eyebrow and neck.

According to the prosecutor, Signor a friend of Mr. Denbrook and Mr. Tannock reached into the fighting group and took the gun.

He ended up using it to shoot Mr. Williams in the back with a single bullet, while Mr. Williams was engaged in a fight with a man from St. George's named Jason Barnett.

"Despite the fact that this was a heated situation, you will know from the way the bullet entered, and you will hear evidence, that there was simply no justification for Dwayne Signor to shoot that gun at anyone," said Mr. Welling.

"Anyone who shoots a gun and aims at a person, in our opinion, must be intending for that person to be killed."

He alleged that Signor ran out of the club with the gun. Mr. Williams collapsed, suffering from a single bullet wound to his back, which hit his left kidney and perforated his colon. He required surgery.

Signor is accused of attempting to murder Mr. Williams, shooting at him with a loaded firearm with intent to do grievous bodily harm, and possessing a firearm and a 9 mm bullet. Smith-Williams is accused of carrying a firearm and going armed in public so as to cause terror.

They deny the charges and the case continues.