KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — More than two years after gunmen fired on Azley Mills, prosecutors subpoenaed her to testify in court on Thursday. Prosecutors have accused Ahmad Gatlin, Deondre Davis and Rashan Jordan of firing on Mills and her then-boyfriend John John Mathis in January of 2021.
The trio is charged with two counts of attempted murder.
"Were you able to see who was shooting at you?" Assistant Attorney General TaKisha M. Fitzgerald asked Mills.
"Yes," said Mills.
"And who would that be?" Fitzgerald asked.
"Rashan, Dre and Ahmad," Mills said.
Defense attorneys argue there's no fingerprint or DNA evidence tying Gatlin, Davis and Jordan to the shooting. On Thursday, prosecutors relied on the testimony of Mills to connect the three young men to the case.
Mills' testimony was tense, at times. Prosecutors compelled her to testify. Judge Steven Sword issued a bench warrant earlier this week, to force Mills to appear in court.
"You can't force me to remember something when you weren't in shock," Mills told attorneys during cross-examination.
Prosecutors said a Honda Pilot started shooting at Mills and Mathis at a mortuary across from Austin-East High School. Mathis, who was driving, fled.
"The shots continued until we couldn't drive anymore," Mills told the jury.
Mills and Mathis ended up at an Exxon Mobil gas station because two of the tires on the car were flat, Mills said. They ran into the bathroom, she said. Body camera video shows police brought them out.
Defense attorneys questioned whether Mills would've been able to clearly identify the people who were shooting at her.
"The Pilot is positioned behind you to shoot into the back window," said defense attorney Mark Stephens during cross-examination.
"Right," Mills responded.
"So your window is down, you're able to look out. You're not seeing the Pilot. The Pilot is behind you. The car is behind you, it's not to your side. Is that correct?" Stephens asked.
"That's correct," Mills responded.
Mathis died in a shooting in August of 2021. Nobody has been charged yet in his death.
Davis and Jordan were found guilty of murder earlier this year in the shooting death of Stanley Freeman Jr. He died in February 2021.