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Tyzir Hamilton, 22, was convicted on all counts of the indictment on Thursday, Sept. 21, including two counts of murder, conspiracy to commit murder and weapons offenses, according to Mercer County Prosecutor Angelo J. Onofri.
On Aug. 9, 2020, at approximately 7:30 a.m., patrol officers with the Trenton Police Department responded to Centre Street for a shooting.
Police found the first victim, William Irizarry, 18, lying on the street. He had sustained multiple gunshot wounds throughout his body and was pronounced dead at the scene. The second victim, Julius Vargas, 18, was found inside a corner market with a gunshot wound. Vargas was taken to the hospital for treatment, however, succumbed to his injuries a short time later.
A suspect vehicle was identified as a black Chrysler 300 with PA plates, along with two shooters, described as two black males wearing all-black clothing and black ski masks.
The black Chrysler 300 was seen circling the area before the shooting, then parking and watching the victims for several minutes as they stood on the corner with others. When the suspect vehicle drove up to the corner and stopped, two shooters, later identified as Tyzir Hamilton and Treizon Thompson, exited, Onofri said. Both ran toward the victims, firing multiple gunshots. The driver, later identified as Darnell Davis, remained in the car. Hamilton and Thompson then chased after Irizarry as he ran into the street, continuing to shoot at him, Onofri said.
When Irizarry fell to the ground after suffering a gunshot wound, they both continued to shoot at him as he lay on the ground, the prosecutor said. Afterward, Hamilton and Thompson returned to the suspect vehicle, which fled.
Further investigation revealed that a black Chrysler 300 was stolen out of Bensalem, Pennsylvania.
The Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office Computer Crimes Unit conducted a physical search and forensic examination of Irizarry’s cell phone, pursuant to a search warrant, and a photo was found that Irizarry posted on his Facebook page disrespecting the H-Block gang, Onofri said.
Detectives continued to monitor multiple public social media posts throughout the month of August of numerous H-Block gang members talking about the murders of Irizarry and Vargas, taunting and threatening friends and family of the victims, Onofri said. Gang members also referenced Irizarry disrespecting the H-Block gang prior to being murdered, he said.
At the time of the arrest of all three suspects in October 2020, Onofri praised the investigative work of the Mercer County Homicide Task Force and thanked the public for the assistance provided during the investigation. “For weeks, detectives have methodically pieced the puzzle together, identifying the vehicle and all three suspects. But the help of the public in solving this double homicide was instrumental,” Onofri said. “It allowed us to follow leads from the very beginning, helping to point investigators in the right direction and allowing them to connect the dots.”
Hamilton is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 4, 2024, along with Thompson, 23, who was tried in December 2022 and also found guilty on all counts. They each face a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. Davis, 22, previously pleaded guilty to aggravated manslaughter and is pending sentencing.
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