On September 27, 2021, 17-year-old Paul Andrew Baez was found on the 100 block of Fulton Street in Elizabeth, New Jersey, with multiple gunshot wounds. A high school senior who hoped to play professional soccer, he was pronounced dead at the scene after reportedly walking to a relative’s house for dinner. Family and teammates remembered him as a beloved son, friend, and teammate.

The Union County Prosecutor’s Office Homicide Task Force and the Elizabeth Police Department led the investigation. Authorities appealed to the public for information and offered a reward for tips leading to an indictment and conviction. It was not clear whether Baez was the intended target or an innocent bystander.

In early April 2022 two men from Elizabeth — 31-year-old Tyreek Howard and 18-year-old Ali Karim — were arrested and charged with first-degree murder, unlawful possession of a firearm and possession of a firearm for an unlawful purpose, and were held at the Union County Jail awaiting initial court appearances. The motive had not been disclosed. If anyone knew Paul, his movements that day, or has information about the shooting, please come forward.