DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — Editor's note: The video above is from the night of the incident.
A Decatur man will serve life in prison after being convicted for the shooting death of his roommate, according to the DeKalb County District Attorney's Office.
On June 27, jurors found Zakariya Wildman, 25, guilty on charges of malice murder, felony murder, aggravated assault, and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony stemming from the 2023 death of 28-year-old Kali Winston.
DeKalb County Police responded to a call of a person shot at a home in the 1400 block of Meadowlark Drive in unincorporated Decatur just before 1 a.m. on January 12, 2023.
According to a release from the district attorney's office, residents told officers that their roommate, Wildman, had purchased a gun and then decided to shoot targets in the backyard of the home.
Here's what the district attorney's office said the police investigation revealed:
Neighbors, concerned for the children who live and go to school in the neighborhood, were upset by the gunshots. The roommates told police that the victim, Winston, confronted Wildman. An argument started and quickly escalated into a fight. The roommates broke the two men apart and ended the fight.
Wildman, who had a black eye, walked to his room and retrieved his gun. One roommate ran for help. The other roommate, Winston’s girlfriend, watched as Wildman walked into the living room and shot her boyfriend in the chest. Winston died from his injuries sustained from the shooting.
Wildman ran away and was found a short time later walking in the neighborhood and authorities took him into custody without incident.
The district attorney's office added Wildman claimed to have shot Winston in self-defense despite admitting that the fight had ended. He was sentenced to life in prison.