Wallace Dailey, a 57-year-old African American man, was tragically shot and killed on August 25, 2017, in Wilmington, North Carolina. Known affectionately as "Uncle Gator," Dailey was a beloved figure in his community, having lived all of his 58 years in Wilmington. He was one of 18 children, a father of six, and an uncle to dozens, making him the patriarch of his large family.
On the night of his death, Dailey had spent the evening with a friend at Club Seahorse and was walking home when he was confronted by his killer. The assailant asked Dailey for a light for a cigarette, and when Dailey, who did not smoke or drink, said he did not have one, the assailant pulled out a gun and shot him. The shooter fled the scene before police arrived, alerted by the city's automated gunshot detection system.
The Wilmington Police Department identified Shaun “South” Chadwick, a 46-year-old man, as the suspect in Dailey's murder. Chadwick was believed to have shot Dailey during a robbery. However, Chadwick was later found dead in New York, complicating the investigation. The police have urged anyone with information about the case to come forward, but as of now, the motive behind the killing remains unclear. Dailey's family and the community were left in shock and mourning, struggling to understand why anyone would harm such a caring and giving individual. The case remains one of the many tragic homicides that have plagued Wilmington, with the city experiencing a higher number of homicides in 2017 compared to previous years.
