RALEIGH -- Jury selection began Monday for a man charged with killing a Raleigh partygoer in 2016.      

Chad Copley, 39, faces first degree murder charges in the shooting death of 20-year-old Kouren-Rodney Thomas.

The case caught national attention as some believe the shooting was racially motivated.

When Copley called 911 that night in August 2016, he told dispatchers there were "hoodlums" outside of his house and that he was going to secure the neighborhood.

In a second 911 call that night, Copley told dispatchers he was trying to protect his family and "fired a warning shot as required by law."

Copley's lawyer said he fired one shot from a shotgun through his garage along Singleleaf Lane.

Police say that bullet hit Thomas who was leaving a party two doors down.

If Copley is found guilty of first degree murder, there's a possibility he could face the death penalty.

Stay with Spectrum News for any developments.