Lincoln man who killed neighbor after argument over dog gets maximum sentence

LINCOLN, Neb. (KOLN) – A Lincoln man was sentenced to life in prison Tuesday for shooting his neighbor after an argument in January 2023.

Armon Rejai, 31, was originally charged with first-degree murder, but the charge was reduced to second-degree murder as part of a plea agreement in May. Related charges of using a firearm to commit a felony and two counts of assault were dropped.

Rejai shot and killed 18-year-old Julian Martinez on January 21, 2023, after an argument at their apartment building near 19th Street and Euclid Avenue.

The confrontation began when Rejai was arguing with his neighbors over an unleashed dog in their yard, according to the affidavit. When Rejai returned to his house, he heard his neighbors shouting obscenities at him. He responded by spraying the group with pepper spray.

Martinez then went to Rejai's door to confront him. As the door opened, Rejai shot Martinez once in the torso. Martinez later died in the hospital.

During the trial, Rejai apologized to Martinez's family and claimed he believed he was acting in self-defense. However, he did not receive the leniency he requested.

“For some reason you decided to open the door and shoot and kill this unarmed 18-year-old young man,” Judge Susan Strong said. “Everyone has the right to self-defense, and you have the constitutional right to keep and bear firearms. But this was not a case of self-defense.”

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