PASSAIC COUNTY, NJ — Three men have been arrested following a year-long investigation of a fatal Passaic County shooting, authorities said.
Kardan R. Ali-Delane, 21, of Elmwood Park, faces first-degree murder charges, among others, in connection with the 2025 shooting. Javon S. Briggs, 21, of Paterson, and Ysad E. Sykes, 24, of Weldon, North Carolina, also face charges in connection with the slaying.
On July 12, around 10:45 p.m., police responded to reports of gunfire near Clinton Street and Garfield Avenue in Paterson, police said.
Upon arriving at the scene, authorities discovered a 52-year-old man from Hackensack lying on the sidewalk with a gunshot wound. The victim is identified in the indictment only as "R.R."
R.R was rushed to Saint Joseph's University Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.
Investigators found 24 7.62x39mm rounds, four 9mm rounds, and two unspent 9mm rounds at the scene of the shooting.
Witnesses told police 25 to 50 individuals were congregating in the park near 86 Clinton Street when shots were fired, and two masked men wearing hoodies were spotted running through nearby yards before and after the gunfire. One of the individuals was allegedly holding an AK-47-style gun, police say.
A gray Honda Civic was spotted in the area and captured on an automated license plate reader before and after the shooting, officials added.
About a month later, that Honda was spotted by state troopers in Paterson. Authorities watched as Ali-Delane exited the vehicle with a "rifle-style firearm" and ran down an alley.
Briggs was also spotted in the alley with a handgun, but not apprehended that day, police said. Ali-Delane was arrested after unsuccessfully trying to escape and ditch his weapon, police said.
Ballistics investigations revealed that Ali-Delane's "rifle-style firearm," a 7.62x39mm caliber Romanian Arms Draco assault pistol, was one of two weapons used to shoot R.R.
Further investigation revealed that Sykes had bought the semi-automatic pistol in North Carolina and given it to Ali-Delane.
After a lengthy investigation, Briggs was arrested on March 9, and his residence was searched. Police found fentanyl along with two handguns and an assault weapon, officials said.
Authorities determined that one of the handguns, a Glock 17, was bought in the same area of North Carolina in February 2024.
See the charges of the trio below:
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