Shooter convicted of manslaughter in killing armed robber

Defendant claims selfdefense, is found not guilty of murder.

A DeKalb County man was convicted Thursday of voluntary manslaughter for killing a 19-year-old who attempted to rob him at gunpoint but ran away when the man fired his own gun, officials said.

A DeKalb jury found that 36-year-old Trillian Haile of Stone Mountain was not guilty of murder in the fatal 2020 shooting, according to court records. In addition to voluntary manslaughter, he was convicted of aggravated assault and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, District Attorney Sherry Boston said.

Haile will be sentenced on April 1.

Killed was Dontavious Young, who Stone Mountain police found lying face down in the street with multiple gunshot wounds on Sept. 8, 2020, Boston said. He had been shot 13 times.

Police had received multiple 911 calls reporting a shooting on Cherry Wood Drive. When officers arrived, they found Young unresponsive in the street with an empty holster by his side, according to investigators. He was taken to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Officers saw Haile standing in front of a house near the scene, prosecutors said at trial. He had placed two handguns in front of him, his own and another belonging to Young.

Haile told police he had also been shot, so he was taken to a hospital for treatment. Boston did not share further details about Haile’s injury.

When Haile was interviewed by detectives, he told them he did not know Young and that the teen had tried to rob him at gunpoint, according to the prosecution.

Haile claimed he acted in self-defense when he pulled his gun in response to Young’s attempted robbery, and the two began shooting at each other.

Young tried to run away, but Haile continued to fire at him. Prosecutors said Haile told investigators that Young fell to the ground, put up his hands and yelled, “I’m sorry,” but Haile said he continued to fire until Young was dead.

Haile was arrested just over a month later.