After weeks of selecting jurors for the case, the trial for the three white men accused of killing Ahmaud Arbery began Friday in Brunswick, Georgia.  

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The case has drawn national attention after Arbery, a 25-year-old Black man, was seen on video being chased and shot by three white men. Gregory McMichael, his son Travis McMichael, and their neighbor William “Roddie” Bryan Jr. face charges of malice, felony murder, aggravated assault, false imprisonment and criminal attempt to commit false imprisonment.  

RELATED: Men Accused of Killing Ahmaud Arbery Want Confederate Photo Banned  

After Arbery was shot, the three men left the scene and were not arrested until the video of Arbery’s death became public, CNN reported. All three have pleaded not guilty to the charges.  

RELATED: Federal Trial for Men Charged With Killing Ahmaud Arbery Set for 2022 

Race is expected to be a key factor in the case. Data from the U.S. Census Bureau reveals Glynn County, Georgia, where the trial is taking place, has a racial makeup that is 69.2% white and just 26.6% Black.   

Earlier this week, 11 white people and a single Black person were selected as the jurors for the trial. The judge, who said there appeared to be “intentional discrimination” in the jury selection process, allowed the case to proceed.  

The McMichaels and Bryan Jr. also face federal charges connected to Arbery’s death. The trial for those charges will begin in February 2022.  

RELATED: Ahmaud Arbery’s Mother Hopes for Accountability in Son’s Trial 

Stay with BNC and BNC GO for live coverage of the trial.  

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If you or someone you know is struggling from trauma triggered by this story, resources are available here.