SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. (AP) — The lawyer for the 19- year- old California man charged with the attempted murder of an Afghanistan war veteran said his client was under attack when gunfire rang out.

Ruben Ray Jurado was charged Tuesday with attempted murder and multiple sentencing enhancements for using a firearm in the shooting that critically wounded Christopher Sullivan, 22, a Purple Heart recipient. He’s expected to be arraigned this week.

Sullivan was home for the holidays at a homecoming party when authorities say a fight began over football. When Sullivan moved to break it up, police say, gunfire broke out.

Defense attorney Michael J. Holmes said Tuesday that he wanted to talk to his client and the district attorney before commenting further on the case.

“ It appears that he was being attacked and he was on the ground and was being kicked in the back, stomach, the head, and that is consistent with the injuries that I observed,” Holmes said. “It is alleged at that point that Mr. Sullivan was shot.”

Authorities said Jurado, who had played football with Sullivan in high school, began arguing with Sullivan’s brother over football teams at the party Friday night and then punched him. Sullivan intervened and Jurado pulled a gun and fired multiple shots, hitting Sullivan in the neck, police said.