In the early hours of a Thursday morning, the city of Plainfield was shaken by the violent death of one of its own. Antwine McAllister, a 23-year-old Black male, was gunned down on February 16, 2006. The fatal shooting occurred around 9:30 a.m. on East Sixth Street, a mere two blocks from City Hall, marking the first homicide of the year for the city. McAllister, a father to twin sons, was reportedly working at a local supermarket and had aspirations of attending Union County College in the fall.
The brazen daylight shooting left the community in shock and mourning. In the wake of the tragedy, a makeshift memorial of flowers and candles marked the spot where McAllister lost his life. For weeks, the case remained unsolved, prompting the Plainfield Police Division to take novel approaches to solicit information from the public, including using a highway information bulletin board to appeal for witnesses. The lack of immediate arrests fueled concerns about public safety within the community.
Months later, a breakthrough in the investigation brought a sense of resolution to the grieving city. In May 2006, authorities announced the arrest of a suspect. Shaun 'Wafi' Long, a 26-year-old Plainfield resident, was charged with the murder of Antwine McAllister. At the time the charges were brought, Long was already incarcerated at the Somerset County Jail on unrelated drug offenses. The charges against him in connection with McAllister's death included murder and unlawful possession of a weapon. The investigation, led by Plainfield police detectives and the Union County Prosecutor's Office, culminated in identifying Long as the individual responsible for the fatal shooting.
