In the late summer afternoon of August 13, 2017, the sound of gunfire shattered the peace on Forrest Street in Jersey City. When police arrived at approximately 1:25 p.m., they discovered a chaotic scene and found 19-year-old Jaharee Broadway suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. Emergency services rushed him to Jersey City Medical Center, but his injuries proved fatal, and he was pronounced dead at around 2:15 p.m.
The cause of his death was later determined to be the gunshot wounds he sustained.
Amidst the investigation, it was revealed that another individual, a 22-year-old man from Jersey City, was also struck by the gunfire. He was transported to the same medical center and treated for non-life-threatening injuries, becoming a survivor of the violent encounter that claimed Broadway's life. The incident prompted an active and thorough investigation led by the Hudson County Prosecutor's Homicide Unit with assistance from the Jersey City Police Department as they sought to bring those responsible to justice.
Less than a month later, on September 5, 2017, a breakthrough in the case came with the arrest of 18-year-old Zafarri Francis of Jersey City. He was taken into custody without incident and faced a litany of serious charges, including murder, attempted murder, conspiracy to commit murder, and several weapons offenses. The investigation further revealed the involvement of three male juveniles in the fatal shooting. Two of the juveniles, aged 16 and 17, were from Jersey City, while the third, also 16, was from Newark. They faced the same charges as Francis, marking a significant development in the case and bringing a measure of resolution to the tragic death of Jaharee Broadway.
