Cops: drug-deal setup led to homicide
BRIDGEPORT — It had been a setup.
Dyshon Williams, 19, had arranged to meet a buyer for some marijuana in the parking lot of Luis Marin School but instead, police said,Williams died from a gunshot wound to the chest.
On Thursday, the two Bridgeport men who police said set up and killed Williams, Vaughn Thomas, 20, of Nelson Street, and 19-year-old Darrick Tunstall, of Horace Street, were arraigned in state Superior Court.
“Mr. Thomas denies the allegations and is confident that he will be cleared of any wrongdoing at trial,” said his lawyer, Michael Riley.
Assistant State’s Attorney Edward Miller urged the judge to set a $2 million bond for each of them because of the seriousness of the crime.
But Superior Court Judge Eugene Calistro ordered each held in lieu of $1 million bond and continued the case for two weeks.
Both men are charged with felony murder, first-degree robbery, conspiracy to commit first-degree robbery and gun charges. But from the evidence it appears Thomas was the shooter, according to the arrest warrant affidavit.
Williams was found lying by a fence near Boston Avenue late in the evening of Feb. 11. His car, its engine still running, was found parked by the sports field nearby, a bullet hole above the rear door. Near the car, police said, they found a bag containing a large amount of marijuana, a pair of eyeglasses and four spent 9mm bullet casings.
Police said a witness told them he had been with Williams when Williams was contacted on Facebook Messenger by a man, later identified as Tunstall, seeking to buy some marijuana. Police said the witness told them he and Williams drove to Marin School to meet the buyer and pulled into the parking lot next to the buyer’s car.
They were sitting in the buyer’s car making the transaction when, police said the witness told them, a masked man came from the shadows, pointed a gun with a laser sight at them and stated, “Give me everything.”
Williams reacted by reaching toward his right hip and the masked man began firing, police said the witness told them. Williams and the witness ran from the scene, but Williams collapsed at the fence, police said.
Police said that when they later viewed Thomas’ Facebook page, they saw a video clip of Thomas, leaning against the car used by the drug buyer — Tunstall’s car — pointing a laser sight.