On a Wednesday afternoon in September 2023, 46-year-old Darius Devon Dugger, a male from Lawrenceville, Georgia, was fatally shot in the parking lot of the Mall Corners Shopping Center on Pleasant Hill Road in Duluth. He was in his blue Chevrolet pickup truck with his fiancée and their 4-year-old son at the time of the incident. The family had just finished lunch and were heading to a Red Lobster when Dugger noticed they were being followed. He pulled into the shopping center parking lot to assess the situation.
The pursuer, later identified as Neil Patrick Frasdilla, 26, also of Lawrenceville, pulled his rented gray Tesla alongside Dugger's truck and opened fire. Dugger was struck by the gunfire and died at the scene. His fiancée and son were not physically harmed. A witness in the parking lot called 911 and provided a description of the suspect's vehicle. Using this information, along with surveillance technology, Gwinnett County police were able to track down and arrest Frasdilla within 45 minutes of the shooting near Dunwoody Club Drive.
The investigation revealed the murder was an act of revenge. About a year prior, Frasdilla's then-girlfriend had sought help from Dugger and his fiancée, alleging that Frasdilla was abusing her. Dugger confronted Frasdilla, which led to a physical altercation. Though the issue seemed resolved at the time, Frasdilla harbored a grudge. On the day of the shooting, he rented the Tesla, waited near Dugger's home, and followed the family to the restaurant.
Neil Patrick Frasdilla was charged with felony murder, three counts of aggravated assault, and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony. Evidence presented during his trial included video from the Tesla's built-in camera showing Frasdilla with the murder weapon, which was later recovered and matched to the bullet that killed Dugger. In May 2024, a Gwinnett County jury found Frasdilla guilty on all charges. He was subsequently sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, plus an additional 25 years.
