Man sentenced to life for murder of friend outside DeKalb County sports bar

DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. - A Clayton County man has been sentenced to life in prison for the murder of his friend over an unpaid loan.

On Friday, a DeKalb County jury found 52-year-old Shiva Vereen guilty of malice murder, felony murder, aggravated assault, and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony in connection with the deadly shooting of Andrew Carpenter in 2023.

MORE: 'Cold-hearted': Man shot to death in front of DeKalb County sports bar

What we know:

The shooting happened early Feb. 13, 2023, at DaBomb Sports Grill, which is located on the 2900 block of Evans Mill Road.

On that morning, officers responded to reports of shots fired and found Carpenter dead with multiple gunshot wounds in the sports bar's parking lot.

One suspect in Lithonia sports grill shooting arrested, search continues

Surveillance camera caught a deadly confrontation in the parking lot of the DaBomb Sports Grill in Lithonia that resulted in a man's death. Investigators made a breakthrough in the case Monday afternoon with the announcement of one arrest.

Prosecutors say surveillance video showed Vereen confront Carpenter inside the bar before the two men went outside and sat in the victim's SUV for 40 minutes.

After the conversation, Carpenter remained near the vehicle drinking and talking with friends. The video then shows Vereen going to his car, grabbing a gun, and opening fire, hitting Carpenter eight times.

Vereen was arrested three weeks later in Texas after being pulled over with a fake dealership tag on his car.

What they're saying:

 "He doesn't care. He doesn't care. That person is all on camera, his face and everything," said restaurant owner Gary DeCosta told FOX 5 the day after the shooting.

DeCosta described the interaction as casual until the suspect pulled out a gun and shot the man over and over - not stopping even when the victim fell to the ground.

"He stood over that guy after he shot him and kept on shooting," said DeCosta.

It was a situation DeCosta described as "cold-hearted."

Dig deeper:

Prosecutors say text messages between the two men showed that Vereen was mad because Carpenter owed him $1,600.

During the trial, Vereen claimed that Carpenter had pulled a gun on him and threatened his family while they were in the SUV and that he acted in self-defense. Vereen also claimed he had blacked out during the shooting.

What's next:

After the guilty verdict, Judge Alan C. Harvey sentenced Vereen to life in prison plus five years to serve consecutively.