A Clay County family spoke out on Wednesday to defend a teenage loved one who police said used a gun to kill a man in front of his home.

According to relatives, 17-year-old Thomas Felton was defending himself and his family when he opened fire and killed 20-year-old Richard Jordan.

According to police, Felton shot Jordan several times during an argument.

Police arrested Felton early Tuesday morning and charged him with murder, aggravated assault with a firearm and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

Felton's family said the teen is not a violent person and did not want Jordan's death to be the result of a petty argument.

The teen's girlfriend, Jennifer Emler, said she was there when the argument happened but that her boyfriend's actions were in self-defense.

"(Jordan) threatened us. He (Felton) was protecting my kids, me, his sister and his nieces and his uncle," said Emler.

Felton's aunt, Gloria Felton, said the shooting was out of character for her nephew.

"I wouldn't expect for him to do that because he's not a violent person, you know. I've never known him to be violent," Felton said.

Emler said the teen had no choice but violence because Jordan threatened him and the people in the apartment with his firearm.

"This boy said, 'We'll, I'm going to come back with a bigger gun and shoot up everybody in the house, and nobody's going to be alive,'" Emler said.

She said she watched Felton's life change before her eyes as soon as he pulled the trigger. She said he stood motionless and didn't say a word as if he were stunned by what had happened.

Police said they did not find a gun on Jordan or in the car he was riding in, but Emler insisted the 20-year-old had the weapon at the time of the argument.

Whether Felton's actions were justified will be determined in the court. However, Gloria Felton said regardless of the outcome, two families have been changed forever.

"It's a tragic situation for both families. We were raised around here together. It's tragic for both families -- we lost two kids," Felton said.