In the late hours of an October night in 2015, a dispute between acquaintances at a McDonough, Georgia sports bar escalated into a fatal act of violence that claimed the life of Prince Varner, a 28-year-old male. The events unfolded at the Red Zone Sports Bar on Racetrack Road, a place that would become the scene of a tragedy for Varner, the brother of then-McDonough Councilwoman Kamali Varner. An ongoing feud between Varner's and Julian Redding's friends set the stage for the deadly encounter.
The conflict that simmered between the two men reportedly stemmed from an earlier incident involving damaged property. On the night of October 24th, this animosity boiled over. Inside the sports bar, Varner and Redding had a confrontation. Both men left the establishment, but the situation took a grim turn when one of them retrieved a gun and followed the other back inside. Surveillance footage from the bar captured the harrowing moments as Varner re-entered, only to be followed by Redding, who then shot him multiple times in the back. Varner was rushed to a nearby hospital but succumbed to his injuries.
Following the shooting, McDonough police identified 31-year-old Julian Keyon Redding as the suspect. A week after the incident, on October 31, 2015, Redding turned himself in to the authorities. He was subsequently booked into the Henry County jail and charged with murder and possession of a weapon during the commission of a crime.
In July 2017, Julian Redding stood trial for the murder of Prince Varner. During the trial, prosecutors presented the bar's surveillance video as key evidence. Witnesses testified about the existing feud between the two groups of friends. The prosecution's narrative suggested the shooting was an act of retaliation, as Redding allegedly believed Varner had shot his cousin a month prior. The defense, however, argued that Redding acted in self-defense. After deliberations, the Henry County jury found Julian Redding guilty of malice murder, felony murder, aggravated assault, and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony. He was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, plus an additional five years.
