On the afternoon of August 25, 2025, a dispute on Dickerman Street in New Haven turned deadly. Officers arrived about 2:12 p.m. and found 32-year-old Ernist Williams and 26-year-old Daiquan Hyman with multiple gunshot wounds. Both were taken to Yale New Haven Hospital; Hyman was pronounced dead shortly after arrival and Williams died the following morning after emergency surgery. Police described the incident as a targeted attack and said an argument among a group of four to six men had escalated into a physical fight before shots were fired.

On September 5, 2025, police arrested 39-year-old Sergio Thomas in Waterbury and charged him with two counts of murder. A judge set bond at $3 million at his arraignment and the case was transferred to the Part A Judicial District Court for major crimes. Thomas’s attorney has said he acted in self-defense to protect a younger brother, a claim investigators are continuing to examine. Officials and the victims’ families held a press conference calling for an end to violence, and police say the investigation is ongoing and additional arrests remain possible.

If anyone knew Ernist Williams or saw events on Dickerman Street that day, please share information that could help the investigation.