On the evening of April 11, 2026, a shooting at the Chick-fil-A on Route 22 in Union, New Jersey, left 23-year-old Malek Shepherd of New York City dead. The restaurant was crowded at about 9 p.m. when gunfire erupted; police found seven people had been struck. Shepherd, a customer, was pronounced dead at the scene. Six other victims sustained non-life-threatening injuries and were taken to local hospitals.

Investigators from the Union County Prosecutor’s Office and the Union Police Department quickly concluded the attack was not random, though they did not release a specific motive at first. The Homicide Task Force continued the probe, and on May 1, 2026, authorities arrested 20-year-old Jaheed Fields of Newark on charges including murder, six counts of attempted murder, and weapons offenses. Fields was held at the Essex County Jail and the investigation remained active.

If anyone was at the restaurant that night or has information about the shooting, please come forward to assist investigators.