Paterson gunfire shatters quiet summer

The gunplay spread beyond the crime-plagued section of Paterson’s 4th Ward to the 2nd and 5th wards of the city. All of the shootings, including the slaying of 21-year-old Kashaad James, remain under investigation by police, with no arrests yet. James’ death early Saturday morning kicked off an especially bloody two-day period for Paterson.

“The shootings are all isolated incidents and not connected,” Paterson Police Director Jerry Speziale said in an email late Sunday. “However, we will look at them from a group perspective and utilize our group focus deterrent team based on our safe-city initiative to find those responsible.”

With the two shootings early Saturday morning, the homicide Saturday marked the city’s 10th killing of the year, eight of which involved gunfire. Paterson has had 41 shootings in 2016, with 37 people suffering wounds. The 4th Ward has endured much of the violence, with five of the homicides and 19 shootings taking place there. With the addition of the two incidents on Saturday evening and Sunday morning, the city’s number of shootings rose to 43.

Shortly after 7 a.m. on Sunday, Paterson patrol cars were dispatched to Chestnut Street in the 5th Ward to investigate a reported shooting, said a press release from Speziale. When the officers arrived they found a 24-year-old male at the residence with an apparent gunshot wound to his lower right leg.

The victim told police that he was coming home after a night out and was climbing the stairs to enter his residence when two males ran up behind him, according to Speziale. Both suspects, brandishing handguns, demanded the victim’s property and then proceeded to take a gold chain from his neck, Speziale said.

The victim struggled with the suspects and tried to get into his front door when one of them fired a round, striking him in the rear of his right leg below the knee, Speziale said. The suspects, described by the victim as Dominican males, fled on foot up the stairs leading to Roberto Clemente Park at the dead end of Oak Street.

The robbery victim was in stable condition, according to Speziale.

In the second of the most recent incidents, on Saturday about 10:45 p.m., patrol units responded to a report of a shooting in the area of Totowa and Richmond avenues, according to Speziale. When they arrived, the officers found a 20-year-old city resident with an apparent gunshot wound to the shoulder.

The victim was driving on Totowa Avenue and was crossing through its intersection with Paterson Avenue in the 2nd Ward when he heard gunshots being fired, Speziale said. Several bullets were shot into the victim’s vehicle, with one striking him. The victim then drove out of the area and summoned help.

He was transported to St. Joseph’s Regional Medical Center in Paterson, where he was treated for his injuries and released, Speziale said.

Neither of those victims’ names was released by police.

Speziale asked anyone with information to contact the police department’s Ceasefire Unit at 973-321-1342. Information can also be forwarded anonymously by accessing the Paterson Police website at patersonpd.com.

Those non-fatal shootings followed the shooting death of James early Saturday morning in the 4th Ward. Two others were wounded in the incident. James was found shot at 1 a.m. on the sidewalk near Godwin Avenue and Carroll Street, and he was pronounced dead at St. Joseph’s hospital.

The shooting happened near the corner of Rosa Parks Boulevard and Godwin Avenue, the same area where high school basketball star Armoni Sexton was killed in April 2015 in a drive-by shooting. That corner has been plagued by violence, the scene of numerous shootings in recent years, including an incident just three weeks ago in which two people were wounded. One street gang uses the address of a liquor store near the corner — “230” —as its name.

A second victim, 25, was found at Rosa Parks Boulevard and Governor Street. He was in critical but stable condition at St. Joseph’s. And a third victim, 23, was able to get to his residence, and his family called an ambulance. That victim was treated and released.

Those two victims, Paterson residents like James, as of Sunday had not been identified by police.

No suspects have been arrested in that case yet, which is being investigated by Paterson police and the Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office.

Authorities on Sunday still hadn’t released many details about Saturday’s homicide or the two non-fatal shootings, including whether they believe the crimes were gang-related, if there were multiple shooters, whether the gunman was on foot or in a vehicle, or what they think prompted the shootings.

Paterson Press Editor Joe Malinconico contributed to this story. Email: moss@northjersey.com