Shaquan Rush, Murder in Aid of Racketeering, New Jersey 2020

A brutal gang-related shooting in Jersey City, New Jersey, has left one dead and another injured, and authorities have charged five individuals with first-degree murder and other related charges.

According to the complaint, Shaquan Rush, 21, aka Nut, aka Sha, Darby Shirden, 21, aka GoHard, aka GH, and Jeremy Perez, 23, aka Smoov, aka JSmoov, all of Jersey City, are each charged with one count of murder in aid of racketeering, one count of attempted murder in aid of racketeering, and two counts of discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.

The defendants will make their initial appearances at a date to be determined, but as it stands, they face significant prison time. The charge of murder in aid of racketeering activity carries a mandatory punishment of death or life in prison without the possibility of parole.

The incident occurred on April 1, 2020, in retaliation for the murder of a high-ranking Rutgers Avenue gang member on March 31, 2020. Rush, Shirden, and Perez traveled to the territory of rival gang members that associate with the Salem Lafayette Apartments and opened fire on a group of people on the street.

Two victims were shot: one individual associated with the Salem Lafayette street gang and a 17-year-old girl who was walking down the street. The girl died the following day as a result of her gunshot wound.

The investigation was led by the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Esther Suarez; the Jersey City Police Department, under the direction of Public Safety Director James Shea; and special agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Newark Field Division, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey L. Matthews.

This investigation was conducted as part of the Jersey City Violent Crime Initiative (VCI), a partnership between federal, state, county, and city agencies to combat violent crime in and around Jersey City.

Defendant Information:

Defendant: Shaquan Rush, aka Nut, aka Sha
Charges: Murder in aid of racketeering, attempted murder in aid of racketeering, discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence
City and State: Jersey City, New Jersey
Date: April 1, 2020
Sentence: To be determined

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