On the late evening of September 30, 2016, a burst of gunfire shattered the night at the corner of 12th Avenue and East 23rd Street in Paterson, New Jersey. Inside his Chevrolet Camaro, 29-year-old Cosmeik C. Gee, a male resident of Paterson, was struck by multiple bullets. He was rushed to St. Joseph's Regional Medical Center, but succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead on October 1, 2016.
The investigation into Gee's death led authorities to two local men, Gyasi Allen and
Jamal Wade. Surveillance footage from the area captured a dark-colored Audi approaching Gee's vehicle just before the shots were fired. The passenger of the Audi, later identified as Allen, exited the car and fired several shots into Gee's Camaro. Wade was identified as the driver of the stolen Audi, serving as an accomplice in the fatal shooting. While police were able to identify and apprehend the suspects, the motive for the killing was never established during the subsequent legal proceedings.
Following an intense manhunt, authorities located and arrested both suspects. Jamal Wade was apprehended in Paterson. Gyasi Allen was later captured by the United States Marshals Service in Florence County, South Carolina. In December 2018, a jury found both Allen and Wade guilty of first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder, among other charges. The conviction brought a close to the case, though the reason for the violent end to Cosmeik C. Gee's life remains unknown. Both men were sentenced to more than 30 years in state prison for their roles in the murder.
