On a Sunday afternoon in April, a burst of violence shattered the quiet of a Bloomfield, New Jersey, variety store, leaving a young man dead and two others wounded. The life of 23-year-old Christian Lisaldes Perez of Newark was cut short on April 10, 2022, in a triple shooting that stunned the local community. The incident unfolded on First Avenue, where Perez was pronounced dead at the scene at 3:18 p.m.
The shooting, which authorities later described as an isolated and targeted event, also left two other men in their early 30s injured. One was transported to Morristown Medical Center in critical condition, while the other was listed as stable. The Essex County Prosecutor's Homicide/Major Crimes Task Force, in conjunction with the Bloomfield Police Department, immediately launched an investigation into the senseless tragedy.
The investigation led to the arrest of Joseph Ocasio, a 29-year-old man from Irvington.
In a harrowing detail that emerged during the legal proceedings, it was revealed that the shooting took place inside the Nitty Sons Variety Store with three children, aged 7, 9, and 14, present. Fortunately, none of the children were physically harmed.
Ocasio was subsequently convicted on multiple charges, including first-degree murder for the death of Christian Perez, attempted murder for shooting Kwame Kemp, 31, in the back, which left him partially paralyzed, and aggravated assault for shooting Rahim Teague, 32, in the hand. In August 2025, Ocasio was sentenced to life in prison plus an additional 45 years for his crimes, bringing a measure of justice to the victims and their families.
