The grand jury will hear the case of a 21-year-old man chargedwith the mid-March shooting of his girlfriend’s father followingWednesday’s preliminary hearing held at the Lincoln County JusticeCourt.

Lincoln County Chief Deputy Johnny Hall took the stand to detailthe night that Andrew Hammond, 21, of 677 Virginia Ave., allegedlyshot his girlfriend’s father, William E. “Bubba” Thompson, 45, of2131 Harbor Lane, Bogue Chitto.

He said witnesses will testify that Hammond was cooking for hisgirlfriend, Gena Thompson, when there was a knock at thedoor.

Gena Thompson told Hammond to go to the back bedroom and answeredthe door to find her father. Upon entering the home, the fatherasked where Hammond was.

“When Thompson opened the door to the bedroom, Hammond fired oneshot,” Hall said.

Hall said Thompson was unarmed, but that Hammond had said he wasafraid of Thompson after an altercation they had at the residencesome weeks before the shooting.

When asked by prosecutor Brady Kellems if he believed the shootingwas a deliberate act, Hall responded, “It was.”

Defense Attorney Joe Fernald established on cross-examination thatit was, in fact, Hammond who had called 911 after the shooting. Heand Hall also agreed that Gena Thompson had told conflictingstories in her written and recorded statements.

Fernald then asked Hall if he thought by Hammond’s going to theback room he had tried to escape conflict. Hall pointed out thatHammond could have gone out the back door instead of into the backbedroom.

Fernald told Justice Court Judge Ralph Boone that Hammond would nottestify, but asked if the court would reduce the $500,000 cash bondto $100,000 since he had already been in jail since the March 14shooting.

“I know that we have held persons with similar charges for $100,000in the past,” Fernald said.

Sheriff’s department officials opposed the idea, and the bond wasnot lowered. Boone bound the case over to the next grand jury forindictment consideration.