In the evening of February 12, 2022, tragedy struck in Jersey City when 15-year-old Devin Bryant, a male, was fatally shot. Shortly after 8:20 p.m., police responded to a report of shots fired in the vicinity of 112 Myrtle Avenue. Upon arrival, officers discovered Bryant with a gunshot wound to his torso. He was quickly transported to Jersey City Medical Center by emergency medical services, but tragically, he was pronounced dead at approximately 9:10 p.m.
The cause of his death was later determined to be a gunshot wound to the abdomen, and the manner of death was ruled a homicide.
The investigation into the shooting was conducted by the Hudson County Prosecutor's Office Homicide Unit with assistance from the Jersey City Police Department. Their efforts led to the identification of a suspect, a 17-year-old from Queens, New York. On March 30, 2022, the suspect was apprehended in Jamaica, Queens, by the United States Marshals Service New York/New Jersey Regional Fugitive Task Force, with help from the New York City Police Department and the New York City Sheriff's Office. He was initially charged as a juvenile with murder, aggravated assault, and weapons offenses.
The suspect, later identified as Justin Goris, was eventually waived to the Criminal Division to be tried as an adult. On July 31, 2024, Goris, then 20 years old, pleaded guilty to aggravated manslaughter. Subsequently, on November 4, 2024, he was sentenced to 15 years in New Jersey State Prison. The terms of his sentence are subject to the No Early Release Act, which requires him to serve 85 percent of his term before being eligible for parole.
