His son's first birthday is today but instead of celebrating 25-year-old Dennis "Tiki" Gladden's body is in the morgue awaiting a post mortem and instead of a party, the family is planning a funeral. The young father, who is no stranger to 7NEWS viewers, was gunned down in a ride-by shooting near his home last night. Keith Swift tells us who the young man was and why he was shot.
Keith Swift Reporting, [keithkswift@gmail.com]
Dennis "Tiki" Gladden first made headlines in 2002 when he survived a gunshot to the face. And then, just last November "Tiki" talked to 7NEWS as he stood with friends at the corner of West and King Streets. The topic that morning was the freedom to smoke weed. And it is this very same corner at the intersection of King and West Streets that Dennis Gladden Jr. was standing last night when a man on a bike pulled up, pulled out a firearm, and fired off a single and fatal shot to Gladden's chest.
Dennis's dad, Dennis Gladden Sr., heard the single shot. He talked to us off camera and says minutes earlier his son went to look for his sister. 15 minutes later he heard the shot.
Dennis Gladden Sr., Father of Deceased
"Like fifteen minutes after that I heard the gunshot. The guy over the next side hollered and told me to come and see what happened to 'Tiki', because 'Tiki is what we call him. So I ran down the lane there to see what happened to him and when I got there I saw him already in the drain."
Dennis Sr. believes his son was killed over a misunderstanding that happened
weeks ago - even before Christmas.
Dennis Gladden Sr.,
"My son's girl died in the accident that happened on the road there. And then this guy stoned my son with a bottle when he rode out there and he chased him, my son chased him. And after he chased him, my son brought the guy's bike in here and mashed it up. The next following day they came back and they came for their bike and it looked they wanted to have a little thing there and I got between them and I parted them and told them to hold it down, and he told my son he will kill him."
Dennis Sr. doesn't know if that threat was executed last night. This morning crime scene investigators scoured the West and King Street areas and at least one resident didn't appreciate their presence.
Area Resident,
"Nani doesn't have anything to do with that murder. Who is informing, better inform correct and let the man know who killed that boy and stop informing and give the police wrong information. The young boy didn't even want to be around last night because he said he didn't kill anyone and he wouldn't run but he knows how the man is chancey out here. Now they are going to my yard like anyone lives at my yard."
And the reality is much different for the dad now preparing to bury his only son.
Dennis Gladden,
"I just have to take those things because that is how life goes."
Tonight police say their prime suspect is detained but he hasn't been charged. Tiki has three children and in addition, his unborn child was killed in an accident on the Northern Highway on December 22nd. In that incident, as we reported, Alfred Price and Primrose Logan (See Triple Tragedy on Northern Highway) were traveling to Orange Walk when their car crashed head into a 18 wheeler loaded with 30 tons of white mall. Both were killed on the spot. Primose was carrying Tiki's child.
