Teen Charged In Fatal Shooting Of North Jersey Man

PATERSON, NJ — A 17-year-old Paterson boy is facing charges after authorities said he fatally shot a Bergen County man last month.

The teen was charged with acts of juvenile delinquency that would constitute the crimes of first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit murder and weapons charges if he were an adult, the Passaic County Prosecutor's Office said in a news release.

According to prosecutors, Paterson police responded to the area of 12th Avenue and East 24th Street shortly after 5 p.m. on March 22 after receiving a report of shots fired. When officers arrived at the scene, they found 21-year-old Jah’Zyer Montgomery of Garfield suffering from multiple gunshot wounds.

Montgomery was taken to Saint Joseph’s University Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.

Investigators later identified the 17-year-old as one of the individuals involved in the shooting, prosecutors said. He was arrested Monday and remains in police custody pending further court proceedings.

The investigation into the shooting is ongoing.

The Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office asks anyone with additional information about the shooting to contact their tips line at 1-877-370-PCPO or tips@passaiccountynj.org. Tips can also be submitted to the Paterson Police Detective Bureau at 973-321-1120.