Victor Vasquez was 36 and a resident of Paterson, New Jersey, when he was fatally shot on the evening of August 15, 2021. At about 8:08 p.m. gunfire erupted near the intersection of Main and Thomas streets in Paterson’s 6th Ward. Officers arriving on scene found two men with gunshot wounds; Vasquez and 32-year-old Nelson Hilario were taken to St. Joseph’s Regional Medical Center. Vasquez died of his injuries, while Hilario survived.

The killing was recorded as Paterson’s 19th homicide of 2021 and stood out in a neighborhood described as relatively calm. The Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office and the Paterson Police Department opened an active investigation, but investigators have not released a motive or details about what led up to the shooting. No suspects have been identified or arrested and the case remains unsolved.

Anyone with information about what happened near Main and Thomas streets on August 15, 2021, is asked to come forward.