3 Men Plead Not Guilty In Shooting Death Of 14-Year-Old Paterson Girl
PATERSON, N.J. (CBSNewYork/AP) -- Three men have pleaded not guilty to murder and other charges stemming from last month's street shooting death of a 14-year-old Paterson girl.
The three Paterson residents -- 20-year-old Shakeem Ricks, 22-year-old Tyheem Mayfield and 19-year-old Nyje Johnson -- entered their pleas during a brief court hearing Wednesday, The Record reported. Each man remains jailed on $2 million bail.
Another man charged in the case, 22-year-old Paterson resident Basim Williams, remains at large. Three teenage boys are also charged with murder and may be tried as adults.
High school freshman Nazerah Bugg was killed on the evening of Sept. 20 as she walked with friends on Clinton Street after leaving Mom's Fried Chicken. Her 15-year-old friend was also shot and wounded.
The fatal shooting was not gang related and Bugg was not the intended victim, Passaic County Prosecutor Camelia Valdes said.
Valdes attributed the shooting to ongoing neighborhood disputes in Paterson's 1st and 4th wards. She said there were two shootings the day Bugg was killed and at least two shooters fired at least 15 times at Bugg and her companions.
A young girl who said she was friends with the victim said the territorial dispute has been ongoing for some time, 1010 WINS' Gary Baumgarten reported last month.
"Up the hill, across the bridge had beef with people downhill on this side of the bridge," she said. "I don't even know why. We're all a community. We're all Paterson. We all need to get along. They trying to get war."
"Guns is not the answer," said another friend. "They shooting innocent people for no reason."
Ricks, Williams, Mayfield and Johnson have been charged with murder, attempted murder and conspiracy to commit murder. In addition, Ricks and Williams face three counts of employing juveniles in a crime; Ricks faces a charge of making terroristic threats; and Johnson faces two weapons charges.
All four men could face life sentences if they are convicted.
Nazerah's death came a little more than two months after 12-year-old Genesis Rincon was killed by a stray bullet while riding her scooter in Paterson.
The deaths have many residents calling on local and state leaders to do more to help end the ongoing violence in the city.
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