The man who shot and killed Detroit rapper Proof [ tickets ] last month acted in self-defense and, as such, will not face murder charges, prosecutors announced Tuesday (5/30).

Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy during a Tuesday press conference said that Mario Etheridge, 28, acted lawfully in shooting Proof--real name Deshaun Holton, 32--after Holton allegedly shot Etheridge's cousin, Keith Bender, Jr., 35. Worthy said Etheridge, a bouncer at the Detroit nightclub where the shootings took place, tried to stop Holton by firing two shots into the ceiling before leveling his gun at the rapper.

A timeline of events that Worthy's office released Tuesday alleges that Bender threw the first punch during an argument with Holton, according to The Detroit Free Press.

Bender remained in critical condition for one week after the incident before dying of his wounds. Earlier this month, his family filed a wrongful-death lawsuit against Holton's estate.

Last month, The Detroit News reported that Bender was a veteran of Operation Desert Storm who reportedly was at the club "with friends celebrating news that the heart condition that forced his retirement from the service had improved."

Though he won't be charged with Holton's murder, Etheridge still faces felony charges for carrying a concealed weapon without a permit and discharge of a firearm in a building. He has pleaded not guilty to both charges, which reportedly carry a maximum sentence of five years each.