D erected a spring gun because of his concerns over past break-ins of his trailer. He had an 8mm Mauser rifle on two chairs with the barrel pointed in the direction of the trailer's front door. A string attached to the doorknob ran over the back of one of the chairs and was connected to the trigger. D went to work with the spring gun in place. Freeman, an acquaintance of D, attempted to enter the front door, and the rifle discharged, hit the metal molding at the foot of the door and Freeman was hit. Freeman eventually died of a pulmonary embolism about two weeks later. D was tried and found guilty of malice murder.