Authorities said the shooting broke out on 10th Avenue as children and families gathered nearby for a 13-year-old girl’s party.
PATERSON, N.J. — A 20-year-old man was killed and three other people were wounded after gunfire erupted Saturday evening near a child’s birthday party in Paterson, sending children and adults running for cover in a neighborhood already shaken by repeated violence.
Police and prosecutors said four people were shot near East 29th Street and 10th Avenue at about 6:13 p.m. or shortly after. The burst of violence turned a backyard celebration into a crime scene, with first responders treating victims in the street and families scrambling to get children inside. By Monday morning, authorities had not announced any arrests, and two of the wounded remained in critical condition.
Witness accounts and video described a sudden, targeted attack. The victims were walking along 10th Avenue when they passed a black car parked on the street, according to television reports that reviewed video from the scene. As the group reached the corner, two people got out of the vehicle with guns drawn and opened fire. One of the shooters then moved closer to the men who had fallen and fired again as one victim tried to get up and run. The two suspects then returned to the car and drove away. At a nearby 13-year-old girl’s birthday party, the sound first registered as fireworks. The girl’s mother said everyone realized what was happening only after sirens followed and frightened guests began leaving.
Authorities have released only limited details about the victims, but multiple outlets identified the man who died as Marquir Darby, 20. News 12 reported that the dead victim was a 20-year-old man from Oxford, and CBS New York reported that police sources said a 12-year-old was among the wounded. Prosecutors said two victims were in critical condition and another was stable after all four were taken to Saint Joseph’s University Medical Center. Paterson Mayor Andre Sayegh said four people had been shot and called the episode deeply disturbing. He later said, “One shooting is one too many,” as officials urged residents to keep the victims’ families in their thoughts. Investigators have not publicly described a motive, said whether the victims knew the shooters, or explained whether the attack was connected to another dispute.
The setting added to the shock. The shooting happened in broad daylight or early evening on a residential block where children were about to sing “Happy Birthday.” Neighbors told reporters the neighborhood emptied out after the gunfire and that many people stayed inside the next day. Councilman Luis Velez said the area has been a recurring trouble spot, though he also said the city has tried to reduce violence there with tools including security cameras. Police were seen marking evidence along the street, and video from the scene showed officers and emergency workers rushing from one victim to another. The family of the man who was killed declined to speak publicly right away, saying they were also dealing with another recent loss in the family.
The legal process now turns on identification of the two shooters and the car used to flee. The Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office and the Paterson Police Department are leading the investigation. As of Monday morning, officials had not announced charges, named suspects or said whether any weapons had been recovered. That leaves several major questions unanswered, including whether the attack was planned in advance and whether the victims were specifically targeted. Investigators are expected to keep reviewing video, collecting shell casings and interviewing witnesses from both the street and the nearby party. Any criminal complaint, arrest affidavit or formal charging decision would likely mark the next major public step in the case.
The human toll was visible well beyond the taped-off block. A girl celebrating her 13th birthday said she ran inside after learning that a friend who had stepped out had seen two people emerge from a car and start shooting. Her mother said the children were scared and that the party ended almost immediately. Darby’s uncle, Marlon Darby, remembered his nephew as a good kid who loved basketball and stayed close with family. He said the killing felt unreal. Those remarks gave the case a second frame beyond the investigation: a family mourning a young man while other victims remained hospitalized, and children trying to make sense of gunfire that cut through what was supposed to be a birthday gathering.
By Monday, one family was planning a funeral, three shooting victims were still being treated and investigators were still searching for the gunmen who fled the scene. The next major milestone is any announcement from prosecutors or police about arrests, charges or additional victim information.
Author note: Last updated April 20, 2026.