Reports show NAU shooting victims under influence of alcohol

(AP) — Results of toxicology tests on the victims and suspect in a shooting at Northern Arizona University could bolster claims of self-defense, legal experts say.

Steven Jones has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder in the Oct. 9 death of Colin Brough and to six counts of aggravated assault.

Jones told police that he fired multiple shots from a gun he retrieved from his car's glove box because he felt threatened by a group yelling obscenities at him and threatening to kill him.

Defense attorneys also could argue that anyone who was intoxicated would be more aggressive and threatening, said Andrew Clemency, a senior lecturer at Arizona State University's School of Criminology and Criminal Justice and a former Maricopa County public defender.

An average from multiple tests showed Brough's blood alcohol level was more than three times the legal limit, according to his autopsy report.

Jones and his friends said they stopped outside an apartment complex across from the university to call a friend who became separated from the group, according to police reports.