James Gilson, 28, of Sanford, Florida, died on July 18, 2017, from a gunshot wound to the chest at the Wyndham Place apartment complex. The confrontation began over a dispute involving a cigar and escalated after Joseph Irwin, 33, accused Gilson of attempting to sexually assault Irwin’s girlfriend. Irwin said he retrieved a gun from the girlfriend’s purse, and during the ensuing struggle Gilson allegedly punched Irwin in the face, the gun discharged, and Gilson was fatally wounded. Gilson was taken to Central Florida Regional Hospital, where he later died.

Irwin was arrested and charged with second-degree murder and possession of a firearm by a felon. At trial his defense argued self-defense, saying he shot to protect his girlfriend from an attempted sexual assault; the prosecution maintained the shooting resulted from the cigar fight and was not justified. A six-member jury deliberated about two-and-a-half hours and acquitted Irwin on December 15, 2018.

Are there details about the confrontation or the apartment complex that anyone familiar with the case can add?