The Supreme Judicial Court ruled Tuesday that self-defense can excuse the killing of an unintended victim. However, defendants may be held responsible if their actions pose a substantial risk of serious harm to unintended victims.
The state’s highest court issued the ruling during a review of the case involving Kenneth Santana-Rodriguez, who is accused of killing Trung Tran, an innocent bystander, during a shooting at Holyoke Mall in 2023.
On the day of the shooting, Santana-Rodriguez told police he fired the gunshots after getting into an argument with another man, Irvin Sanchez…