SOMERVILLE, NJ (Somerset County) – An 18-year-old man has been sentenced to twenty years in state prison for a fatal shooting that occurred in August 2019 in North Plainfield Borough, according to Somerset County Acting Prosecutor Annmarie Taggart.
On Friday, April 29, the Honorable Michael J. Rogers, J.S.C., sentenced defendant Qwa’lir Carter of North Plainfield to twenty years in New Jersey State Prison, with 85% of that term to be served without parole pursuant to the No Early Release Act, following his conviction for first-degree aggravated manslaughter and related weapons charges, Taggart said.
The charges stemmed from Carter’s fatal shooting of a juvenile victim in North Plainfield Borough on August 6, 2019, which occurred a few blocks away from the Borough’s National Night Out event, Taggart said.
Carter’s arrest and charges followed an investigation conducted by the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crimes Unit and the North Plainfield Police Department.
The investigation revealed that Carter and the victim knew each other and travelled to a location within North Plainfield to engage in a fist fight, Taggart said.
As the fight began, Carter drew a handgun, pointed it at the victim and pulled the trigger, but the gun misfired. He cleared the handgun malfunction, pointed the gun at the victim and pulled the trigger again, shooting and killing the victim, Taggart said.
Carter was 15-years-old at the time of the incident, but in December 2019 the state successfully moved to waive him to adult court, Taggart said.
Carter pled guilty on March 4, 2022, at which time he admitted to shooting the 16-year-old victim during the altercation, Taggart said.
The State was represented by Assistant Prosecutor Rory A. Eaton. Defendant Carter was represented by Jarred Freeman, Esq.
