On a cold Saturday afternoon, January 30, 2016, the sound of gunfire shattered the quiet of a Schenectady neighborhood. At approximately 3:55 p.m., police received calls reporting shots fired on Germania Avenue in the Hamilton Hill area, near Jerry Burrell Park. When officers arrived at the scene, they discovered 22-year-old Marquel E. Fallen inside his car, suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. He was rushed to Ellis Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Witnesses in the area reported hearing as many as five shots.
The investigation into the death of the young Schenectady man, described by some neighbors as a 'good kid,' quickly turned into a homicide case. For months, detectives worked to piece together the events of that afternoon. Their efforts led them to a suspect, Naseyf Salahuddin. Investigators determined that Salahuddin, who was 19 at the time, had gotten into the back seat of the parked car Fallen was driving and fired five shots from a. 40 caliber semi-automatic handgun into the back of the driver's seat. Two of those bullets struck Fallen in the lower back, causing his death. After the shooting, Salahuddin fled the city and went into hiding in nearby Albany.
Prosecutors revealed that the motive for the killing was gang-related. Salahuddin was identified as a member of the Ku-Gang, and they alleged that Fallen's death was a planned execution to further the gang's interests. It was believed that Fallen was involved in dealing narcotics without the gang's permission and was not sharing the profits. On June 8, 2016, authorities located and arrested Salahuddin.
On February 17, 2017, Naseyf Salahuddin pleaded guilty to a charge of second-degree murder. As part of a plea deal, he admitted to killing Marquel Fallen. In May 2017, a Schenectady County Court Judge sentenced Salahuddin to a term of 20 years to life in state prison, bringing a close to the case.
