A planned meeting for a marijuana purchase in Decatur, Georgia, took a violent and tragic turn, ending the life of 25-year-old Diante Amos Harring on August 20, 2020. Harring, a male, was visiting Atlanta from New York with his family when the fatal encounter occurred. The group included Harring's adult brother, Clifton Vickers, as well as a 10-year-old boy, a 7-month-old baby, and the children's mother.
Harring had arranged to meet Deonta David, a 28-year-old Decatur man with whom he had previously conducted similar transactions. After some communication, David directed them to an apartment complex on Columbia Drive. Upon their arrival in a minivan, the vehicle was ambushed with gunfire. David used an AR-15 rifle, and another unidentified individual also fired into the van with a handgun.
In a desperate attempt to escape the barrage of bullets, Harring, though wounded, managed to drive away from the apartment complex. He drove for more than three miles before his injuries rendered him unable to continue, at which point his brother, Clifton Vickers, took control of the wheel. They eventually came to a stop in the 2800 block of Flat Shoals Road, where police responded to a 911 call about multiple people being shot.
First responders found a devastating scene. Diante Harring was unresponsive inside the minivan and was later pronounced dead at a hospital. The other occupants of the van had also sustained significant injuries. Clifton Vickers was shot in the arm, the 10-year-old boy was shot in the abdomen, and the 7-month-old baby was shot in the foot, resulting in the permanent loss of a toe. The children's mother was the only person in the vehicle who was not physically harmed by the gunfire.
The investigation that followed led authorities to Deonta David. Clifton Vickers was able to identify David from a lineup as one of the shooters. Further evidence, including cell phone data, placed David at the scene of the shooting at the time it occurred. Text messages on David's phone also confirmed that he was the last person to communicate with Harring before his death.
In August 2024, a DeKalb County jury found Deonta David guilty on multiple charges, including Malice Murder, Felony Murder, five counts of Aggravated Assault, two counts of Cruelty to Children in the First Degree, Aggravated Battery, and Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a Felony. A judge subsequently sentenced him to life in prison plus 85 years. The second individual involved in the shooting remains unidentified.
