In the afternoon of March 9, 2021, a burst of gunfire shattered the quiet of a Newark street, tragically ending the life of 22-year-old Dedric Bracey. A Black male, Bracey was on St. Paul Avenue shortly before 4:00 p.m. when a dark-colored SUV approached. Inside the vehicle, which was later identified as a stolen BMW, were three individuals who opened fire on him. Bracey suffered multiple gunshot wounds and was rushed to University Hospital, where he was pronounced dead a short time later.
The sudden and violent nature of his death sent ripples of grief through his community.
The investigation into Bracey's murder moved swiftly. Information gathered at the scene indicated that the suspects had fled in an SUV. Shortly after the shooting, detectives from the New Jersey State Police spotted a vehicle in the neighboring town of Irvington that matched the description. They pulled the vehicle over and detained the three males inside. Following an investigation by the Essex County Prosecutor's Homicide Task Force, which included detectives from the Newark Police Department and the New Jersey State Police, the three individuals were charged in connection with Bracey's death. The suspects were identified as 19-year-old Tyshon Armor of Newark, 18-year-old Reynold Henderson of Irvington, and 20-year-old Isaad S. Jackson of Newark.
The legal proceedings that followed brought some measure of justice for Dedric Bracey and his loved ones. The three men were charged with murder, conspiracy to commit murder, and weapons-related offenses. After a trial, a jury found Tyshon Armour, Reynold Henderson, and Issad Jackson guilty of murder. Prosecutors revealed that Armour and Jackson had fired 13 shots at Bracey. All three men now face the possibility of life in prison for their roles in the fatal shooting. The sentencing was scheduled for the following September.
