A man who shot three people – two fatally – said he had a right to defend himself under Florida’s Stand Your Ground law. A hearing is underway in Brevard County where a judge will consider allowing William Woodward to claim Stand Your Ground as a defense.

Woodward faces the death penalty for two counts of pre-meditated murder. Investigators said he opened fire on his neighbors, hitting three of them, during a Labor Day party in Titusville back in 2012. But Woodward’s attorneys argue the neighbors shot made serious threats to Woodward and his family.

“To the extent these two people are dead, they dug their own graves when they did what they did that night. This wasn’t a revenge killing. This was a response to people that said they were going to harm he and his family,” said defense attorney Robert Berry.

Neighbors said a dispute between Woodward and his neighbors had gone on for several weeks. Defense attorneys said in surveillance video from one of those neighbors’ homes, you can hear taunting and threats in the moments before the Labor Day shooting.

Gary Hembree and Roger Picior were both killed in the shootings. A third victim, Bruce Blake, was shot 11 times but survived. Woodward’s attorneys questioned Blake Monday while showing clips of the surveillance video.

“And you are the first person to start trouble up again that night, isn’t that true?” asked defense attorney Greg Eisenmenger.

“I don’t remember but according that, you’re probably right,” said Blake.

Prosecutors argued Monday that this was not a Stand Your Ground defense. They said Woodward’s neighbors were unarmed when he shot them, and that Woodward planned out the attacks.

“He describes them as his prey to the officer. That’s why he stalked them,” said Assistant State Attorney Gary Beatty.

The hearing is expected to last all week, and at the end of it the judge must decide if Woodward can claim Stand Your Ground.

If a judge decides if Woodward acted in self-defense, prosecutors said his murder charges will be dropped.  If not, a jury will have to decide the case at trial.