Passaic County Prosecutor Camelia M. Valdes and Paterson Police Department Officer-InCharge Isa Abbassi announce that a 16-year-old male from Paterson has been charged in
connection to the October 3, 2023 homicide which occurred in the area of Broadway and Rosa
Parks Boulevard in Paterson. The juvenile is charged with acts of juvenile delinquency that
would constitute the crimes of Murder, first degree; Conspiracy to Commit Murder, first degree;
Attempted Murder, first degree; Unlawful Possession of a Weapon, second degree; and
Possession of a Weapon for an Unlawful Purpose, second degree, if he were an adult.
On October 3, 2023, at approximately 3:47 p.m., the Paterson Police Department was dispatched
to the area of Broadway and Rosa Parks Boulevard in the City of Paterson on a reported
shooting. Three victims with gunshot wounds were located. The first victim, Jerrell Wright, a
twenty-three-year-old male from Riverdale, New Jersey, sustained gunshot wounds to the chest
and was subsequently pronounced deceased at St. Joseph’s University Medical Center. The
remaining victims, Shaheem Clark, a nineteen-year-old male from Elmwood Park, New Jersey,
and Charles Obee, a fifty-seven-year-old male from Paterson, survived. The subsequent
investigation resulted in the identification of the 16-year-old male as one of the individuals
involved in the shooting. The juvenile was taken into custody this morning without incident and
is currently detained pending further court proceedings.
A juvenile delinquency complaint is merely an accusation. Despite this accusation, the juvenile
is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. The matter has
been referred to the Passaic County Family Court, Juvenile Part, for further proceedings.
This investigation remains active and ongoing. More information will be released when it
becomes available.
The Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office asks anyone with additional information about this
incident to contact us on our tips line at 1-877-370-PCPO or tips@passaiccountynj.org or contact
the Paterson Police Detective Bureau at 973-321-1120.
