In the early morning hours of Thursday, November 4, 2021, the quiet of a Union, New Jersey neighborhood was shattered by a fatal act of violence. Responding to a call at approximately 1:30 a.m., Union Township Police arrived at the 1200 block of Coolidge Avenue to find a grim scene. There, they discovered 24-year-old Isaiah Spicer suffering from grave injuries.
Despite the immediate response, Spicer was pronounced dead at the scene, having sustained fatal gunshot wounds to his head and neck in what authorities described as an execution-style shooting. Several shell casings were recovered by investigators, marking the location of the tragic event.
The investigation that followed was a collaborative effort involving the Union County Homicide Task Force, the Union Township Police Department, the Elizabeth Police Department, the Union County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Unit, and the Union County Police Department Ballistics Unit. Their collective work quickly led to the identification of a suspect. The day after the shooting, Shannon Assing, a 24-year-old man from Perth Amboy, turned himself in to authorities. He was subsequently charged with first-degree murder, second-degree unlawful possession of a weapon, and second-degree burglary in connection with Spicer's death.
Further details emerged, revealing that the fatal encounter occurred in front of the home of Assing's ex-girlfriend. During legal proceedings, Assing admitted to shooting Spicer. In March 2023, then 26-year-old Shannon Assing was sentenced for his crime. A Union County Superior Court Judge sentenced him to 25 years in state prison for aggravated manslaughter. Under the terms of his sentence, Assing is required to serve at least 85 percent of his term before he becomes eligible for parole. The resolution of the case brought a measure of justice for the killing of Isaiah Spicer, a young man whose life was cut short.
