In the early morning hours of September 13, 2016, tragedy struck in Paterson, New Jersey, when 21-year-old Sean Brittingham was shot and killed. The fatal incident occurred at approximately 2:25 a.m. outside of 185 Hamilton Avenue. First responders provided medical aid to Brittingham at the scene before he was rushed to St. Joseph's Regional Medical Center.
Despite the efforts of medical staff, he succumbed to his injuries while in the operating room.
The investigation into the death of the young man, a resident of Paterson, was handled by city detectives and the Passaic County Prosecutor's Office. Their efforts led them to identify a suspect in the fatal shooting. Authorities began searching for Najir Franklin, who was 19 years old at the time. The U.S. Marshals Service tracked Franklin to Wilmington, North Carolina, where he was found hiding in an apartment complex.
On January 4, 2017, nearly four months after the shooting, Najir Franklin was apprehended without incident at the Courtyard Apartments in Wilmington. He was subsequently charged with murder in connection with Sean Brittingham's death. Following his arrest in North Carolina, Franklin was slated for extradition back to New Jersey to face the charges brought against him.
