The Paterson Police Department is currently investigating a recent shooting at a local grocery store in Paterson, New Jersey that left three men injured.
According to officials, the incident, which occurred at approximately 9 p.m. on Saturday, January 11th in the parking lot of a grocery store located near 12th Avenue and Parks Boulevard in Paterson, was a drive-by shooting executed from an SUV. Police have yet to determine the number of individuals in the vehicle or the number of shooters and are also in the process of identifying a motive for the crime.
It remains unclear whether the victims were purposefully targeted or simply collateral damage in the incident, but they are reportedly recovering from their injuries. Authorities have not revealed their identities.
The investigation is ongoing and if police identify and charge one or more suspects, those accused can expect to face charges for attempted murder as well as weapons offenses. Attempted murder in New Jersey is codified under N.J.S.A. 2C:5-1 and N.J.S.A. 2C:11-3a(1), and is considered a crime of the first degree, which is punishable by a term of incarceration of between 10 and 20 years in New Jersey State Prison.
NJ Bill A3181, which was introduced in the New Jersey Legislature on June 28, 2012, seeks to increase the maximum penalty for attempted murder and conspiracy to commit murder convictions in certain cases. If this piece of legislation is ultimately passed, the sentencing range for attempted murder or conspiracy to commit murder convictions would be increased to a term of imprisonment with a maximum of 30 years. The bill has been referred to the Assembly Judiciary Committee for consideration. Clearly, the passage of such legislation would have serious implications for individuals convicted of attempted murder charges in New Jersey.
For more information pertaining to this case, access the following article: Authorities: 3 men shot in supermarket parking lot
