In the early morning hours of November 15, 2020, a dispute that began inside the Up Lounge in Midtown Atlanta spilled out into the street, escalating into a fatal encounter for 25-year-old Frederick Demor Asberry. A U.S. Marine Corps veteran, Asberry was shot and killed during the chaotic altercation. The incident, which unfolded around 4 a.m. at 150 Pine Street NE, also resulted in gunshot wounds to two other men, a 33-year-old security guard named Byron Heron and a 30-year-old man named
Andrew Smith. Heron was left in critical condition, while Smith's injuries were less severe.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation was called to the scene to investigate the shooting, a standard procedure due to the involvement of an off-duty Atlanta police officer who was working a security job at the nightclub. According to initial reports, the officer intervened in the escalating conflict and discharged his weapon. It was not immediately clear who shot whom in the exchange of gunfire. Several firearms were recovered from the scene as investigators worked to piece together the sequence of events.
In the days following the tragic death of Asberry, who was remembered as a gifted individual with a bright future, a significant development emerged in the case. A spokesperson for Asberry's family announced that charges had been filed against two security guards involved in the incident. One of the guards faced a charge of felony murder, while the other was charged with aggravated assault.
Frederick Demor Asberry, a native of Troup County, had served with distinction in the U.S. Marine Corps from 2014 to 2018, earning multiple honors for his service. After his honorable discharge, he was pursuing a career in music, a passion he had nurtured since his high school days as a drummer, and was also training to become a barber. His life was cut short in the violent confrontation outside the Atlanta nightclub, a place that had reportedly been the subject of numerous police calls in the months leading up to the shooting.
