In the early morning hours of December 23, 2018, chaos erupted in West New York, New Jersey, forever altering the lives of many. Steven Flores, a 19-year-old male from the neighboring Union City, was fatally shot near the intersection of 61st Street and Park Avenue. The incident, which unfolded shortly after midnight, stemmed from an altercation that spilled out of a basement party. Responding to reports of gunfire, West New York Police officers discovered Flores with a gunshot wound to his upper body. He was rushed to Jersey City Medical Center, but tragically, he was pronounced dead at approximately 1:00 a.m. The cause of his death was later determined to be a gunshot wound to the neck, and the manner of death was ruled a homicide.
Another individual was also wounded in the shooting but sustained non-life-threatening injuries.
The investigation into the shooting was led by the Hudson County Prosecutor's Office Homicide Unit, with assistance from the West New York, Union City, and North Bergen Police Departments. In the days that followed, details emerged from witnesses who had attended the party. According to one account, a man exited a black car, approached Flores, and shot him before fleeing the scene. The community was left shaken, with friends and family of Flores mourning his sudden and violent death. They remembered him as someone who, despite facing struggles, was working to turn his life around and had a passion for music.
On January 4, 2019, a significant development was made in the case with the arrest of an 18-year-old male from West New York. The suspect, who was 17 at the time of the shooting, was taken into custody without incident in Jersey City by members of the Hudson County Prosecutor's Office Homicide Unit. Due to his age at the time of the offense, his name was not publicly released as he was charged as a juvenile. The charges brought against him were severe, including murder, possession of a firearm for an unlawful purpose, unlawful possession of a weapon, and aggravated assault.
