He was trying to keep a thief from stealing his car. But when an Atlanta man shot and killed the would-be suspect, he himself became a suspect, charged with murder.

Raheem Scott, 25, was still at the Exxon near The Mall West End when officers arrived Saturday night. William Blackwell, 50, of Goodlettsville, Tenn., was dead in the front seat of Scott’s car, according to police.

But was a murder charge justified? That depends on whom you ask and which law is being applied.

“It was not a case of ‘Stand your ground,’” Jerry Henry, executive director of Georgia Carry, told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “If you catch someone stealing your car, you can try to contain him, but you just can’t shoot them.”

Or maybe you can, if you’re defending your habitation, Atlanta attorney Brian Steel said.

Under Georgia's "use of force in defense of habitation" law, a person may use force against someone to prevent the commission of a felony, said Steel, who is not involved in Scott's case. And the law applies to a residence, business or vehicle, he said. Entering a vehicle and stealing a vehicle are both felony charges in Georgia.

Around 7 p.m. Saturday, Scott stopped at a gas station on his way to visit his mother in the hospital, his mother said. Scott left his car running when he went inside the Exxon near The Mall West End.

When he came back outside, another man was in the front seat, according to Atlanta police. Scott then allegedly fired multiple shots, killing Blackwell. Investigators do not believe Blackwell had a weapon.

Scott then went back inside the store and asked an employee to call 911. He was arrested that night and charged with murder, according to police.

“He was on his way to come see me when all of this happened,” Scott’s mother, Debra Bryant, told The AJC on Monday. Bryant, diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in October, spent the weekend in the hospital.

Scott had never been in trouble, his mother said. Both Bryant and Scott carried guns for their safety, she said. But Bryant couldn’t speculate on what may have prompted her son to shoot.

“When you’re trying to protect yourself and your property, you have to do what you have to do,” Bryant said. “There’s too many people trying to take what you’ve worked hard for.”

Scott waived his first court appearance Monday morning. He was being held without bond at the Fulton County Jail. Scott’s next court date is scheduled for April 4.