Abstract
Matthew Sepi, a 20-year-old combat veteran who had been
deployed in Iraq, headed out to a local convenience store in Las Vegas in
2005 concealing an AK-47 under his clothing in case it was necessary to
protect himself in the neighborhood that was known for violence and
crime.' At one point a man and a woman approached him in a dark alley,
ordering Sepi to leave the area. Feeling he was being ambushed by enemy
troops, Sepi instinctively reacted by "engag[ing] his targets" and shooting
at them. Once the individuals appeared immobilized from the gunshots,
Sepi followed training protocol in "breaking contact" with the enemies
and retreating. Both individuals were shot and one of them died of
gunshot wounds. Sepi was charged with murder and attempted murder.