Police are still searching for the gunman who killed Atlanta entrepreneur Chad Dillon outside his new restaurant on July 23.
Dillon, 33, was shot multiple times just before 4 p.m. at 480 John Wesley Dobbs Avenue in Atlanta’s Old Fourth Ward neighborhood.
He was sitting in his black Rolls-Royce SUV and talking on his cell phone when the gunman approached and opened fire. Dillon tried to run, but he collapsed in the middle of the street and died.
The killer fled on foot without taking Dillon’s cellphone, wallet, or expensive jewelry.
RELATED: RIP: Chad Dillon, Owner Of The Boiler Seafood in Atlanta, Shot Dead
Investigators say Dillon was targeted and his murder was not the result of a carjacking or robbery gone wrong.
Dillon owned The Boiler, a popular Cajun-style seafood restaurant in Buckhead. He also co-owned The Seafood Menu in southwest Atlanta with rapper Lil Baby.
Lil Baby commented on Dillon’s death in a post on his Instagram Stories. In the now-deleted post, Lil Baby wrote on a photo of himself with Dillon, “Damn big Buddy get ya rest.”
Lil Baby reacts to the passing of his friend and business partner, Chad Dillon, who was found killed inside his car ???? pic.twitter.com/lF4WPmZvXn
— Sticky News/entertainment (@itgetstickytv) July 26, 2024
Dillon achieved success with the first Black-owned crab boil restaurant in Atlanta. The Boiler restaurant earned over $8 million in its first year of operation.
He shared his success with others by giving inmates $2,000 each to start their own business.
However, social media users say Dillon owed money to Lil Baby and others in the Atlanta area.
In the comments of a video showing Dillon’s white Rolls parked next to a private jet, an Instagram user wrote: “You riding Rolls Royces and Private planes but can’t pay cousin what y’all owe her interesting.”
Dillon responded, “her check been sitting there for weeks. She worked 3 days in July and never came back. Contacted us in September about a check and we sent out payroll information for her to fill out. It was completed till November and that’s when she got her check.”
A user on X, formerly Twitter, wrote: “Dillon was doing a lot of bad business with people and wasn’t paying money that was owed, probably did Lil baby like that too.”
Another X user said Dillon was likely killed due to his association with Lil Baby.
“He was killed because he partnered with Street rapper Lil Baby, Leader of the 4pF (4 pockets Full) gang syndicate. It was most likely retaliation against lil baby and his criminal gang located in Atlanta georgia [sic].”
