In the late hours of a December night in Macon, Georgia, a dispute that began over boxing would tragically end a man's life. Dedrick Bulls, a 42-year-old security guard, was at his place of work, the Full House Tavern on Bloomfield Road, on December 12, 2022. What started as a conversation with his nephew about the sport of boxing took a fatal turn when a 19-year-old card dealer at the tavern, Andrew Ronnie Mullis, interjected.
The situation escalated when Mullis, who had been asked to leave the establishment earlier for excessive drinking but had lingered outside, called his brother, an acquaintance of Bulls. As Bulls reached for the phone to speak with Mullis's brother, Mullis abruptly pulled the phone away, drew a firearm, and shot Bulls in the face. Dedrick Bulls was rushed to the hospital and fought for his life for five days before succumbing to his injuries on December 17, 2022. His death marked the 70th homicide in Macon-Bibb that year.
Following an investigation, the Bibb County Sheriff's Office identified Andrew Ronnie Mullis as the suspect. On December 20, 2022, Mullis turned himself in to authorities. He was subsequently charged with murder, two counts of aggravated assault, and aggravated battery and held without bond.
During legal proceedings, Mullis's defense team claimed he acted in self-defense, alleging that Bulls and another guard had been threatening him. They pointed to surveillance footage which they argued showed Bulls acting aggressively. However, at his trial in January 2026, Mullis’s testimony shifted, claiming he only felt threatened in the specific moment of the confrontation. This was contradicted by witnesses who testified that no one at the nightclub had been aggressive toward Mullis. The prosecution argued that the shooting was a senseless act of violence over a trivial dispute.
A Bibb County jury found Andrew Mullis, then 23, guilty on all four counts: malice murder, felony murder, aggravated assault, and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony. He was sentenced to life in prison plus an additional five consecutive years.
