The murder trial of a former MMA fighter and Aurora-based anti-violence activist began with jury selection in an Adams County District courtroom Monday morning.

There was a pool of around 100 residents for the trial of 47-year-old Lumumba Sayers Sr. By the afternoon, the defense and prosecution hadn’t even begun asking jurors questions. Opening arguments won’t occur until later in the week.

The trial comes nearly two years after Sayers Sr. allegedly shot and killed 28-year-old Malcolm Watson at Watson’s son’s fifth birthday party on Aug. 10, 2024 at a public pool in Commerce City.

He is facing charges of first-degree murder, two counts of felony menacing and two counts of tampering with evidence.

The former anti-violence activist is suspected of walking up to and shooting Watson once in the head and four times in the torso, with both police and prosecutors saying the incident was an act of revenge.

The shooting came nearly a year after Sayers Sr.’s 23-year-old son, Lumumba Sayers Jr., was shot and killed on Aug. 19, 2023 at 28th and Welton streets in Denver. The quadruple-victim shooting left Sayers Jr. and 25-year-old Gulian Musiwa dead.

Sayers Jr. was allegedly protecting his sister during the shooting.

The sister allegedly attended Watson’s party with Sayers Sr. Arrest records claim Watson and Sayers Jr.’s alleged shooter, Tyrell Braxton, were friends.

Over the past two years, the case has stretched out through multiple bond, preliminary and pre-trial hearings.

The first bond hearing on Aug. 15 included heated arguments from both sides, with attendees arguing and yelling across the courtroom.

“If you let this man out, it’s your fault if guns and bloodshed go on in this community,” Tajuana McKinley, Watson’s mother, said during the bond hearing. “This is not over, by far, on any side. This is going to go on, your honor.”

Just last month, Sayers Sr.’s defense attorney, Megan Downing, told 17th Judicial District Judge Jeffrey Ruff that the defense was having difficulty getting witnesses on board to testify due to fear.

Regardless, the trial will go on, with the prosecution attempting to prove that Sayers Sr. shot Watson and attempted to place a handgun near Watson’s body after he was killed.

The defense, on the other hand, will likely try to prove that there was a second shooter who killed Watson, with both Downing and the prosecution mentioning a second suspect being put forward during the trial.

The trial is expected to last two weeks.