In the early morning hours of February 8, 2015, the life of 23-year-old Sharod Coleman-Fitzgerald of East Orange, New Jersey, was tragically cut short. A Black male, Coleman-Fitzgerald was fatally shot in an incident that unfolded around 2:26 a.m. near a go-go bar on Passaic Street in Newark. In the immediate aftermath of the shooting, he and another wounded individual were transported to University Hospital in a private vehicle.
Despite medical efforts, Coleman-Fitzgerald was pronounced dead at the hospital.
The investigation into the homicide was spearheaded by the Essex County Prosecutor's Office Homicide Task Force, working in conjunction with the Newark Police Department. Their efforts soon zeroed in on a suspect, identified as Juan Porter, who also went by the nickname 'Yum Yum.' A warrant was issued for Porter's arrest in connection with the murder, but he managed to evade authorities for several months, prolonging the quest for justice for Sharod Coleman-Fitzgerald's family. To aid in the search, the Essex County Sheriff's Crime Stoppers offered a $10,000 reward for information that would lead to an arrest and conviction in the case.
A significant breakthrough in the case came in November 2015. Juan Porter was apprehended in Maine during what began as a routine traffic stop. Although he was reportedly untruthful about his identity at first, law enforcement officers were able to confirm his identity with authorities in New Jersey. His capture marked a pivotal moment in the investigation, bringing a sense of resolution to a community that had been waiting for months for an arrest to be made in the senseless killing of Sharod Coleman-Fitzgerald.
