In the spring of 2015, a visit to his mother's Atlanta home turned tragic for Warren Roseberry, a 25-year-old African American male. On the evening of May 11, what began as a family gathering at the apartment on West Lake Avenue descended into violence that would ultimately claim Roseberry's life. The promising amateur boxer was not the intended target of the aggression that night but heroically stepped in to protect his cousin.
The tragic chain of events was set in motion when
Roseberry's cousin arrived at the apartment wearing colors associated with a local gang, of which he was not a member. This seemingly innocuous act drew the ire of two gang members who were present, 29-year-old Morio Clifton and 26-year-old Christopher Woody. An argument quickly escalated, and the two men began to assault Roseberry's cousin. Witnessing the attack, Roseberry, a man described by his mother as someone who always tried to encourage peace, intervened to defend his relative.
Leveraging his boxing skills, Roseberry initially gained the upper hand in the physical altercation. However, the confrontation took a fatal turn when Clifton and Woody produced firearms. As Roseberry attempted to retreat to the safety of his mother's apartment, he was shot multiple times. He tragically collapsed and died on his mother's living room floor, in her presence. Atlanta police were called to the scene regarding a fight in progress and discovered eight shell casings in the parking lot, a grim testament to the violence that had transpired.
The investigation that followed, aided by the crucial testimony of Roseberry's mother, aunt, and other witnesses, swiftly identified Morio Clifton and Christopher Woody as the perpetrators. Clifton was arrested shortly after the murder. Both men were subsequently put on trial. In August 2017, a jury found Clifton and Woody guilty on a slew of charges, including murder, felony murder, participation in street gang activity, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony. They were also convicted for being convicted felons in possession of a firearm. The convictions brought a measure of justice to a family shattered by the senseless loss of a young man who died protecting his cousin.
