Antwine McAllister

Antwine McAllister was a young father focused on building a future for his family in Plainfield, New Jersey. At 23 years old, he was the devoted parent of twin sons and a dependable employee at the Super Stop & Shop in the Watchung Square Mall. Known by the nickname "2 Twine," those close to him remembered him as a loving and caring person. Antwine had aspirations beyond his work at the supermarket; he was making plans to enroll in classes at Union County College in the fall of 2006, hoping to create more opportunities for himself and his children. He was a young man balancing the immediate responsibilities of parenthood and work with dreams for a better tomorrow.

That future was stolen on the morning of Thursday, February 16, 2006. Around 9:30 a.m., in the broad daylight of a city street, Antwine was shot and killed on East Sixth Street, near the intersection with Park Avenue. The location of the shooting was just two blocks from Plainfield's City Hall, a brazen act of violence that marked the city's first homicide of the year. The sudden and public nature of his death sent a wave of shock and grief through his neighborhood. In the hours and days that followed, a makeshift memorial of flowers and candles appeared at the spot where he fell, a quiet testament to a life cut short and the community's sorrow.

The investigation was handled by Plainfield police detectives and investigators from the Union County Prosecutor's Office. As weeks passed without an arrest, the police took unusual steps to generate leads, including posting a plea for information on a highway bulletin board to reach potential witnesses. The community waited, concerned about public safety and hoping for a breakthrough that would bring justice for Antwine and his family.

That breakthrough came three months later. On May 19, 2006, authorities announced they had charged a suspect with Antwine’s murder. Shaun "Wafi" Long, a 26-year-old Plainfield resident, was served with papers charging him with murder, unlawful possession of a weapon, and possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose. At the time the charges were filed, Long was already incarcerated at the Somerset County Jail on unrelated drug offenses, including conspiracy and possession of a controlled dangerous substance. Union County officials ordered him held without bail on the new charges.

Plainfield Police Chief Edward Santiago credited Detective John Furda and Union County Prosecutor's Office Investigator Jorge Jimenez for uncovering the evidence that led to the charges against Long. In addition to the murder of Antwine McAllister, Long was also charged with the attempted murder of another Plainfield resident, Kyle Brooks, in a separate incident that had occurred on December 24, 2005.

The arrest brought a measure of resolution to a case that had deeply affected the Plainfield community. The charges against Shaun Long represented a significant step forward in the pursuit of justice for Antwine McAllister. While public records do not detail the final disposition of the court case, the arrest itself marked the culmination of a determined three-month investigation.

Antwine McAllister is remembered not for the violence that ended his life, but for the life he was living: a father committed to his twin sons, a steady worker, and a young man with concrete plans to further his education. His death was a profound loss to his family and to a community that mourned a neighbor who was simply trying to build a better future. The case is now considered closed through litigation.