Plainfield man fatally shot, marking third homicide this month

PLAINFIELD— Hakeem Young, a 32-year-old city man, was fatally shot on Thursday night, marking the second homicide in two days and the fourth this year in this Union County city.

On May 26, the Plainfield Police Division patrol units responded to a report of gunshots being fired on the 900 block of North Avenue shortly after 9 p.m. Police found Young dead at the scene.

Young’s death marks the third homicide this month in Plainfield. 

One day prior to Young’s death, 37-year-old Willie Lee Major of Plainfield was found dead on the 400 block of West 4th Street after police officers responded to reports of gunshots being fired in front of the Liberty Village apartment complex. Major was an innocent bystander, authorities said. 

And earlier this month, 23-year-old Shavaun Green was shot and killed while driving on West 2nd street late at night. Police found Green dead inside the crashed car after responding to reports of gunfire.

No arrests or charges have been made in connection with any of the shootings.

The Union County Crime Stoppers are offering a reward for information leading to an arrest and indictment.

There were three homicides in the city in 2014 and that number rose to four last year, according to the State Police Uniform Crime Report. In the past two months, there have been four homicides.

This comes after Mayor Adrien Mapp boasted falling crime rates in the beginning of the year. In a February speech, Mapp spoke of the 17 percent reduction in violent crime in the past two years.

In 2012, the city leased a gun-shot detection system intended to help officers respond faster to gunfire.