A sporting legend was murdered in the city last night. Willie Gordon - a 5 time semi pro basketball champion with the Kremandala Raiders in the 90's - was a loan shark in his life after basketball. And last night - he was going to collect on a debt payment - but a killer was lurking.
Courtney Menzies found out about his last moments in a residential northside neighbourhood:
This surveillance footage shows 49-year-old James Wilfred Gordon riding his bicycle on Meighan Avenue around 6:30 last night. He stops in front of a house and is calling someone.
He doesn't notice that an armed man is riding towards him. In an instant, shots are fired.
Gordon jumps off his bike and runs into the yard, where he immediately collapses. Shortly after, this father of three daughters succumbed to his injuries, leaving his loved ones shocked and devastated.
Gordon was a well-known basketball-er, having played on the Raiders team for many years. He loved the sport, and he died before his oldest brother ever had a chance to see him play. 67-year-old Randolf Gordon told us that when he heard someone was shot, he would have never guessed it was his little brother.
Randolph Gordon - Brother of Deceased
"Monday, me and him was sitting on the step and he offered me a drink, he said, brother go through, you could drink that because his birthday was coming up, October 5th. And when I heard they called me and tell me your brother got shot, I saw that interview briefing news when they said someone get shot so I told my friend when these young boys will stop their stupidness. Then I going upstairs to my aunt then he told me, it's your brother who got shot. Because they didn't pass the person name at that time and then he told me that it's your brother so that's how I got the shocking news."
The only motive Gordon could have thought about was robbery – since his brother was on his way to pick up some money from the home of Chief Housing Officer, Noel Harvey. But the surveillance footage shows that the shooter quickly fled the scene.
But that just adds to the family's confusion since Gordon also said his brother was no troublemaker.
Randolph Gordon
"He was a loving brother, all out of the whole 13 loving brothers and sisters and with he, he was a fun guy, he always playing, he and my kids always get along because he's always teasing my kids and they say that's their favorite uncle because he's always playful and never did take advantage of anyone."
And Gordon never got to see his brother play his favorite sport since he was in the US during the victim's youth. The two brothers reconnected some years ago though, and those memories are all that's left of James Gordon. Randolph Gordon said he couldn't even stomach the thought of seeing his little brother's body.
Randolph Gordon
"I still can't get over it, I still don't believe he died, it's a real shock. In that moment… he was so cool and peaceful, just cool, so I didn't believe it was him. And that's what I will be left with, the remembrance of him because I still don't believe him. That's what I told my brother when they gone and pick him up from where he got shot, I couldn't face a scene like that, to see my brother on the ground dead and nobody can help him so I didn't know how I'd feel. So my little brother tell me he went over there last night and he asked the police if he could see him so the police zip the bag down and he said he saw him and it was him in the bag. I couldn't face that because I just couldn't believe it could happen to one of my brother, especially him."
