In the early morning hours of August 1, 2021, the life of 30-year-old Daquan Basnight of Ewing, New Jersey, was tragically cut short in a burst of gunfire on a Trenton street. The male victim, a Black / African American, was attending an annual party known as “Sha-Day,” a memorial for a Trenton resident killed in 2013, in the 800 block of Stuyvesant Avenue.
Just after midnight, the celebratory atmosphere was shattered by the sound of multiple gunshots, prompting a ShotSpotter activation that alerted police to the scene.
Responding officers discovered Basnight lying in the street, having sustained multiple gunshot wounds to his face and body. He was rushed to a nearby hospital but ultimately succumbed to his injuries. The Mercer County Homicide Task Force and the Trenton Police Department immediately launched an investigation into what was quickly ruled a homicide. Investigators found 13 spent shell casings at the scene and secured surveillance footage from a local business that captured the ambush-style attack.
The investigation swiftly led to a suspect, 36-year-old Matthew Tanner of Trenton. Surveillance video showed a lone gunman, later identified as Tanner, hiding between two houses before ambushing Basnight from behind, firing numerous shots, and then fleeing through an alley. Tanner was seen on camera in the area before and after the shooting wearing the same distinctive clothing as the gunman, including a plain black t-shirt, black pants, and reflective sneakers. In a crucial piece of evidence, Tanner was even seen standing near Basnight's body seconds after the final shot was fired.
Matthew Tanner was arrested just two days later, on August 3, 2021, by a team of officers from the Mercer County Homicide Task Force, the U.S. Marshals NY/NJ Regional Fugitive Task Force, and the Trenton Police Street Crimes Unit. During questioning, he identified himself in several images captured from the surveillance footage. He was charged with first-degree murder and multiple weapons offenses. In April 2025, a jury found Matthew Tanner guilty of the murder of Daquan Basnight. Subsequently, in August 2025, Tanner, then 40, was sentenced to 65 years in state prison for the killing. Under the No Early Release Act, he will be required to serve 85 percent of his sentence before becoming eligible for parole.
