In the pre-dawn hours of a late summer morning in Paterson, New Jersey, the quiet was broken by the sound of gunfire. On August 31, 2024, at approximately 2:47 a.m., a ShotSpotter activation alerted police to the area of Auburn and Ellison streets. Arriving at the scene, officers discovered a man lying face down, having sustained multiple gunshot wounds. The man was identified as Raheem Edward Porter, a 41-year-old Black male and resident of Paterson. He was the son of Charles Edward McClendon and Delores Porter. Emergency services transported him to Saint Joseph's University Medical Center, but his injuries proved fatal, and he was pronounced deceased.
The investigation into the death of Raheem Porter was a joint effort between the Paterson Police Department and the Passaic County Prosecutor's Office. Their work quickly led to the identification of a suspect.
Just two days later, on September 2, 2024, authorities arrested 37-year-old Daquann Barnes, also a resident of Paterson. The arrest was made without incident.
Following his apprehension, Daquann Barnes was charged with a series of serious offenses. These include first-degree murder, second-degree unlawful possession of a weapon, second-degree possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, and second-degree certain persons not to possess weapons. The Passaic County Prosecutor's Office announced its intention to file a motion for pre-trial detention. If convicted of the murder charge, Barnes faces a potential sentence of 30 years to life in prison. The investigation is considered active and ongoing, and authorities have encouraged anyone with additional information to come forward. A visitation for Raheem Porter was scheduled for September 21, 2024, at the Holy Tabernacle Apostolic Church in Paterson for family and friends to gather and honor his memory.
