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Three semi-pro basketball players were at a downtown New Haven party, getting “hammered.” They left to go home — and one ended up shot dead.
That was the outline of New Haven’s 25th homicide of the year.
Some of the details of that outline have begun to be filled in, though some of the big questions remain a mystery.
Former star Hamden High School guard Timothy “TJ” Mathis lost his life that night on South Genessee Street in the West Hills neighborhood. He was 25.
Assistant Police Chief John Velleca confirmed some of the details emerging about what happened. He gave the following account of what detectives have learned so far from one person present:
Mathis spent the evening at downtown New Haven’s Kudeta restaurant with two buddies. The latter two were also star high school basketball players, at Hillhouse in New Haven. All three have led straight adult lives and were signed up to play semipro ball, according to Velleca.
The party was hosted by NBA player Ryan Gomes, of Waterbury.
The party is advertised online as the “Ryan Gomes Labor Day Weekend Celebrity Birthday Celebration.” Hosted by The Urban Professionals Network and The Coalition, the party promised “300 special invited attendees,” including “current NBA, NFL, & Division I Collegiate Stars” as well as players from Greater Hartford Pro-AM, Hartford’s professional basketball team.
The threesome got pretty “hammered” at the party, Velleca said. They left in a Ford Escape driven by one of the Hillhouse alums. He headed to West Hills, where TJ lived.
While driving on East Ramsdell, the driver apparently took a wrong turn. Instead of turning left onto Valley Street, he turned a block away onto South Genesse. He stopped the Escape. All three fell asleep.
At some point — maybe around 3:30 a.m. — gunfire woke up one of the passengers. That’s according to the story he apparently told the cops.
The passenger then fled the car and ran to Mathis’s nearby residence. He knocked on the door trying to get Mathis’s roommate to open it. The roommate didn’t. The passenger passed out on the property.
Sunlight awoke the passenger. He knocked on the door again. The roommate answered this time. The two went back to the Escape parked on South Genessee. They reportedly found the driver passed out — and Mathis shot dead.
Velleca cautioned that the police haven’t confirmed the whole story. No motive has been established yet. They still need to talk to the driver, for instance. But they do not consider the driver a suspect.
Police have also so far not found any evidence showing where the shooting took place. The investigation remains at an early stage.
“I think they were victims of a robbery,” said attorney Michael Jefferson, who’s advising the other ballplayers. Jefferson met with police Tuesday to confer on the investigation.
"At least that's the story he apparently told the cops." What a completely irresponsible statement to make. I didn't realize this was an editorial piece.