On a spring evening, what began as a large gathering of people at Naaman Williams Park in Franklin Township, New Jersey, ended in a fatal burst of violence. It was around 11 p.m. on Saturday, May 18, 2019, when multiple gunshots rang out, sending attendees into a panic. In the chaos that followed, it was discovered that 30-year-old David D. Anderson, a male resident of the township, had been struck by the gunfire.
Rather than wait for an ambulance, a civilian rushed him to a nearby hospital for emergency treatment. Despite the efforts of medical staff, Anderson succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead.
The Franklin Township Police Department and the Somerset County Prosecutor's Office Major Crimes Unit launched an immediate and intensive investigation into the homicide. Detectives descended upon the area near Matilda Avenue where the shooting occurred, interviewing numerous witnesses who were present at the park gathering. For months, the investigation continued as authorities pieced together the events of that night, urging the public to come forward with any information that might lead to an arrest. The community was left on edge, awaiting answers as to who was responsible for the brazen act of violence that claimed a local man's life.
After a six-month investigation, a breakthrough came in November 2019. Authorities announced the arrest of Najee K. Croom, a 27-year-old from the neighboring city of New Brunswick. Croom was charged with first-degree murder and weapons offenses in connection with Anderson's death. The investigation did not stop there, and about a year after the shooting, in May 2020, a second suspect was apprehended. Ameer Harris, a 29-year-old, also from New Brunswick, was arrested and faced the same charges of first-degree murder and weapons possession. Both men were subsequently lodged at the Somerset County Jail, bringing a measure of resolution to a case that had deeply affected the Franklin Township community.
