Damte Asegidew was a 40-year-old farmer and father of four. He lived in Yenagnet Kebele, in the Dejen district of the Amhara region, and was well respected in his community. He was known for his hard work.
On 22 February, Damte was with a group of villagers doing some construction work on a hall meant for funeral services at the local church, St George’s. At around 3.30pm, a group of Ethiopian National Defense Force soldiers appeared and began firing on the villagers, accusing them of helping Fano militia forces to construct a fort. Damte was shot in the head, and died at the scene. At least 20 other civilians were injured in the attack.