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Different version of Old City shooting emerges at trial

Two friends of accused shooter Gerald Ung on Friday gave a Philadelphia jury their versions of the events leading to the Old City shooting of Eddie DiDonato early on Jan. 17, 2010.

Two friends of accused shooter Gerald Ung on Friday gave a Philadelphia jury their versions of the events leading to the Old City shooting of Eddie DiDonato early on Jan. 17, 2010.

Neither, however, shed any light on the trial's unanswered question: What started the argument that ended 70 seconds later with Ung, 29, a Temple University law student, critically wounding DiDonato, 24?

"I still don't know why all this happened," Joy Keh, a New York news photographer who was visiting Ung, told the Common Pleas Court jury.

The answer - or the last chance to get one - may come Monday, when Ung is expected to testify.

Ung and his two friends and DiDonato and three friends encountered one another at 2:30 a.m. at Third and Market Streets. Both groups had left different bars and were trying to hail cabs.

Something happened, and both groups walked west toward Fourth Street trading loud insults and swearing - Ung's group in the lead, DiDonato and friends close behind.

DiDonato and his friends testified earlier in the trial, which began Tuesday, that they were sober and did not instigate the argument or escalate it as it culminated in the shooting outside the Fox29 TV studios at Fourth and Market.

They said Ung confronted them, inexplicably outraged and screaming, as they watched a friend do pull-ups on construction scaffolding.

Ung's friends - Keh and Rouzbeh Afsarnanesh - testified that DiDonato and his friends shadowed them after the initial altercation.

DiDonato and Seth Webster were about 10 feet behind, Ung's friends testified, and a third man, Thomas Kelly, was alongside them on Market, twice rushing at them, trying to hit Ung.

Keh said she approached the scaffolding as DiDonato's friend Andrew DiLoreto was doing pull-ups. Keh said she tried to do a pull-up and was distracted by a loud argument.

She said she turned to see one of DiDonato's group - she could not remember who - legs apart, hands gesturing to his crotch, yelling, "Well, come on!"

"What did you say?" was Ung's reply, Keh said.

Afsarnanesh had a different recollection. He said he walked into Market around the scaffolding and heard someone call Ung a derogatory term for someone who is gay.

"So you think we don't speak English, or don't understand English?" countered Ung, Afsarnanesh testified.

DiDonato and his friends are white. Ung and Keh are Asian; Afsarnanesh was born in Iran.

DiDonato and his friends testified that they could not remember any of the words said, though they conceded each side was swearing at the other.

Keh said she feared for her life, especially after Kelly twice rushed them.

The first time, she said, Kelly rushed from Market, right arm cocked as though to sucker-punch Ung.

Keh said she spotted Kelly approaching, blocked the punch, and pushed him backward, saying, "I see that. Stop it!"

She said she tried to make eye contact with Kelly, saying, "You're a good person, don't do this."

Kelly, however, seemed overcome with rage, Keh said, and shouted back: "I'll kill you. You're dead."

Keh said she did not know that Ung had a permit to carry a gun and was shocked when the shooting began.

Afsarnanesh, however, said he knew Ung had a weapon that night and feared how things would end. He said he turned to DiDonato and said: "I beg of you, man, to let us go."