DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — A jury has found a Stone Mountain man guilty of several charges in connection to the shooting death of a teenager.
Trillian Haile, 36, was found guilty of voluntary manslaughter, aggravated assault and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony stemming from the death of 19-year-old Dontavious Young, according to DeKalb County District Attorney Sherry Boston.
An investigation showed that on Sept. 8, 2020, officers responded to multiple 911 calls about a shooting on Cherry Wood Drive in Stone Mountain. When they arrived, officers found Young lying face down on the road with multiple gunshot wounds-- with an empty holster next to him. He was taken to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead. An autopsy revealed that Young had been shot 13 times.
At the scene, police saw Haile standing in front of a nearby home and went to speak with him. Haile had laid two handguns on the ground in front of him, one of which belonged to Young. Haile told police he had also been shot, and he was then taken to the hospital as well.
In an interview with detectives, Haile said he did not know Young, but rather, he had acted in self-defense because Young attempted to rob him at gunpoint. He said he then pulled out his own gun, and both of them began shooting at each other.
Haile confessed that Young had tried to run away, but he continued to shoot at him. He told investigators that Young even fell to the ground, put his hands up and yelled 'I'm sorry," but Haile continued firing until Young died.
Haile is scheduled to be sentenced on Monday, Apr. 1 at 9:30 a.m.
