In the early morning hours of December 1, 2017, the life of 34-year-old Dontrelle Horne was cut short in a fatal shooting inside Paterson Billiards on Market Street in Paterson, New Jersey. Authorities were called to the scene at approximately 2:38 a.m. where they discovered Horne suffering from a gunshot wound. He was rushed to St. Joseph's Regional Medical Center, but his injuries proved to be too severe, and he was pronounced dead a short time later at 3:08 a.m.
The investigation into
the homicide revealed that the shooting stemmed from a verbal dispute that escalated. On December 21, 2017, a suspect, 33-year-old Leroy Hodgson of Paterson, was apprehended by the Passaic County Sheriff's Department at the Wayne Hills Mall. Hodgson was subsequently charged with first-degree murder, second-degree possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, and second-degree unlawful possession of a weapon in connection with Horne's death.
Dontrelle Horne was remembered as a kind-hearted man with an infectious smile. He had a passion for football, which he developed while in the Paterson Public School System, and was also a talented drummer who played for his church and various gospel groups. He was a father to a son and a daughter. His death was a result of a senseless act of gun violence that left a community in mourning.
