In the South Ward of Newark, New Jersey, on the morning of March 21, 2016, a conversation between cousins took a tragic and fatal turn. Jerome T. Brown, a 27-year-old Black male, was meeting with his cousin, Tamodd Young. What began as a seemingly normal interaction escalated into a shocking act of violence that was captured on security footage.
At approximately 9:24 a.m., in the single-digit block of Schley Street, Young produced a firearm and opened fire on his cousin.
The assault was relentless, with Young continuing to shoot even after Brown had fallen to the ground. In total, Brown was struck twelve times, with five of those shots being to his head. He was rushed to University Hospital, but his injuries were too severe, and he was pronounced dead at 9:57 a.m.
The investigation into the death of Jerome T. Brown was handled by the Essex County Prosecutor's Office Homicide/Major Crimes Task Force in conjunction with the Newark Police Department. Despite the brutal nature of the crime, a clear motive for the shooting was never determined by prosecutors, who described the act as a 'cold-blooded murder' and 'incomprehensible.'
Following a three-week trial, an Essex County jury convicted Tamodd Young, who was 24 at the time, of murder and weapons offenses. The jury deliberated for only an hour and a half before reaching a guilty verdict. Young, who had a prior felony conviction, faced a sentence of 30 years to life in prison for the murder of his cousin.
