In the late morning of March 28, 2017, tragedy struck in Jersey City, New Jersey, forever altering the lives of those connected to 19-year-old DaJour Riley. A young man, identified as a Black male, was fatally shot while inside a vehicle at the intersection of Garfield Avenue and Union Street. The brazen daytime shooting occurred at approximately 11:45 a.m., shattering the normalcy of the neighborhood with the sound of gunfire.
Following the shooting, Riley, who had sustained multiple
gunshot wounds, was privately transported to the Jersey City Medical Center. Despite the urgent medical attention he received, his injuries proved to be too severe. At approximately 2:30 p.m. that same day, DaJour Riley was pronounced dead, leaving a community to grapple with the violent loss of a young life.
The investigation into the homicide, led by the Hudson County Prosecutor's Office with assistance from the Jersey City Police Department, quickly identified two suspects. Vernell Mohammed, 19, and Dashawn Mixson, 20, both residents of Jersey City, were charged in connection with Riley's death. The charges against both men included murder, conspiracy to commit murder, and two weapons offenses.
In the days following the shooting, law enforcement officials announced the arrest of Vernell Mohammed. Shortly thereafter, Dashawn Mixson, who was initially sought by police and considered armed and dangerous, turned himself in to detectives from the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office Homicide Unit. He was arrested without incident, bringing both individuals accused of involvement in the death of DaJour Riley into custody.
