Newark Man Admits To Planned 'Revenge Shooting' In Jersey City

JERSEY CITY, NJ — A Newark man with a previous felony conviction admitted to a planned "revenge shooting" in Jersey City, according to the Department of Justice.

Raheem Allen, 34, of Newark, told officials he had planned to "kill a lot of people" in an act of revenge for his brother's murder. He pleaded guilty to one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and one count of possessing with intent to distribute cocaine.

Allen came to Jersey City on March 7 in an attempt to gain revenge for the March 6 murder of his brother, a high-ranking member of a Jersey City street gang, according to court documents. Law enforcement officers obtained communications involving Allen wherein he explained his criminal purpose, the DOJ said.

When police stopped Allen, he had a semi-automatic gun with 25 rounds of ammunition, extra ammunition and cocaine, officials said, he was getting ready to get into a car. During post-arrest questioning, Allen admitted that he came to Jersey City to “kill a lot of people” due to the murder of his brother, the DOJ said.

Allen has previously been convicted of felony offenses, including robbery and possession of controlled substances.

The firearms offense to which Allen pleaded guilty carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. The drug offense carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $1 million. Sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 14, 2021.