George Alan Kelly, the 73-year-old Arizona rancher accused of murder for allegedly shooting a Mexican national on his property with a long history of deportations, says he only fired "warning shots" after a group of trespassers "pointed an AK-47 right at him," Fox News reports.

From Arizona rancher held on $1M bond fired 'warning shots,' armed men pointed 'AK-47 right at him,' defense claims:

George Alan Kelly, 73, who is charged with first-degree, premeditated murder in the Jan. 30 shooting of a man whom authorities believe to be 48-year-old Gabriel Cuen-Butimea, based on the Mexican voter registration card he carried, had completed chores on his ranch near Kino Springs earlier that day and came to his house to have lunch with his wife when he heard a single gunshot as they ate, Kelly’s court-appointed attorney, Brenna Larkin, wrote in a recent court filing obtained by Fox News Digital.

Kelly saw his horse, who is old, running away scared at full speed, the filing says.

"Finally, he saw a group of men moving through the trees around his home. They were armed with AK-47 rifles, dressed in khakis and camouflaged clothing and carrying large backpacks," Larkin wrote. "None of them were known to him. He had not given any of them permission to come onto his land."

Poster Comment:

Mike Rivero: "We don't care if the illegal immigrants had AK-47s. We are only worried about US citizens having AK-47s! Meanwhile, the message remains the same. Thou shalt not shoot future Democratic voters!!!" -- Official White Horse Souse