2 Men Confess to Carteret Murder, Prosecutor Says

Carteret, NJ - Two men have pleaded guilty in the fatal shooting of a Maryland man who was visiting relatives in Carteret when he was killed, said Middlesex County Prosecutor Andrew C. Carey.

Daniel Gillens, 24, pleaded guilty to a count of aggravated manslaughter, admitting he fatally shot Deonte J. Shackleford, 26, of Baltimore, on April 5, 2013.

A co-defendant, Hakeem Mercer, 30, of Carteret, pleaded guilty to a count of conspiring.

The investigation began when police, on routine patrol, heard gunshots fired in the Chrome section of Carteret at 7:24 p.m. on April 5, 2013.

Police arrived at the intersection of Pershing Avenue and Union Street to find Shackleford lying on the sidewalk at the intersection.

The victim was taken to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in Rahway, where he was pronounced dead at 8:17 p.m.

Gillens will be sentenced to up to 25 years in a New Jersey state prison and Mercer will serve 10 years, said Carey.