Blackwater security guard convicted of 2007 civilian massacre in Iraq

It’s the third time since 2014 that Slatten has gone to trial over the deaths on Sept. 16, 2007 in Nisour Square.

Prosecutors alleged that Slatten fired shots into the crowded traffic circle, instigating a mass shooting that led to the death of 14 unarmed civilians and the injury of a dozen others.

In his first trial in 2014, Slatten was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison. Three years later, an appeals court threw out the sentence and ordered another trial. The new trial ended in a hung jury in September, and a third trial began on Nov. 5.

The charge carries a mandatory life sentence in prison. A sentencing date has yet to be scheduled.

Slatten was with three other Blackwater guards, who were all under contract by the State Department, when they opened fire. The guards said they began shooting after a white Kia approached the convoy’s four armored vehicles.

When Slatten fired the first shots, prosecutors alleged, he killed the young man who was driving the Kia. The man’s mother, who was in the car, was also killed.

Prosecutors told the first jury that Slatten had acted out of retribution for the 2001 terrorist attacks in the United States. Slatten’s attorney said he acted out of the belief that the Kia was a car bomb threat.

The three other guards were convicted of manslaughter and weapons charges. They each received a 30-year prison sentence, but will be re-sentenced after an appeals court said those sentences constituted “cruel and unusual punishment.”

The shooting happened during the Iraq War, heightening diplomatic tensions and raising questions about the use of private military contractors during the war. Blackwater, the military contractor, was founded by Education Secretary Betsy DeVos’ brother, Erik Prince.