On the evening of September 12, 2024, in Metcalf Park on Valley Street in Orange, New Jersey, 28-year-old D’Andre Smith was shot near the playground and baseball field at about 8:33 p.m. Officers patrolling nearby heard the gunfire and found Smith on the baseball field with a gunshot wound to his leg; another man at the scene suffered a non-life-threatening hand wound. Smith was taken to University Hospital in Newark and was pronounced dead on September 15, 2024.

Witnesses said a man in dark clothing and a mask fled toward a vehicle. Police identified 24-year-old Brandon Beasley as the suspect; he reportedly fled in a stolen vehicle and led officers on a high-speed chase through Orange, East Orange, and South Orange before crashing and attempting to run on foot. Beasley was taken into custody in a nearby apartment complex parking garage, a loaded weapon was recovered nearby, and he has been charged with murder, aggravated assault, and weapons offenses. The Essex County Prosecutor’s Office Homicide Task Force has taken over the investigation and officials say they are still working to determine a motive.

If anyone witnessed the shooting or has information about what led up to it, please share what you know with investigators.