DETROIT, April 27 (UPI) -- The man accused of fatally shooting Detroit rapper Proof waived his preliminary exam on two felony firearms charges in Detroit District Court.
Mario Etheridge, 28, was not charged directly with the slaying of Proof, who was shot once in the head and twice in the chest during an April 11 fracas at a Detroit club. Instead, he faces charges of carrying a concealed weapon and discharging a firearm in an occupied building, the Detroit Free Press reported.
Police and witnesses have said Etheridge shot the rapper, whose real name was DeShaun Holton, after Proof pistol-whipped and shot his unarmed cousin, who died a week later from his injuries. Etheridge was a bouncer at the CCC nightclub, where the two dead men were arguing over a game of pool.
Following Wednesday's hearing, attorney Randall Upshaw told reporters outside the courthouse that his client prevented the rapper from shooting others in the club, the Free Press said.
He also said Etheridge was not armed when he went to work that evening and was either handed the weapon or grabbed it from a bystander.
Neither of the guns used that night have been recovered, the Free Press said.
