Three men have been charged in connection with a fatal shooting in Paterson last year and an alleged scheme to bring guns into New Jersey from North Carolina, according to the state Attorney General’s Office.

Kardan R. Ali-Delane, 21, of Elmwood Park, is charged with murder and several other offenses in the July 12, 2025, shooting near 86 Clinton St.

Paterson police responding around 10:45 p.m. found a man with multiple gunshot wounds. The victim, identified in the indictment by the initials R.R., later died at a hospital.

Investigators recovered 24 rifle rounds, four 9mm rounds and two unspent 9mm rounds from the scene. Witnesses reported seeing two masked people wearing hoodies running through nearby yards around the time of the shooting, including one who appeared to be carrying an AK-47-style weapon, authorities said.

Ali-Delane and co-defendants Javon S. Briggs, 21, of Paterson, and Ysad E. Sykes, 24, of Weldon, North Carolina, also face charges related to allegedly bringing firearms into New Jersey.

Authorities said New Jersey State Police encountered Ali-Delane in Paterson on Aug. 19, 2025, and seized a Romanian Arms Draco assault pistol as he allegedly attempted to discard the weapon and flee. Ballistics testing later determined the firearm was one of two guns used in the July homicide, according to the Attorney General’s Office.

Investigators allege Sykes purchased the firearm in North Carolina in June 2025 and later provided it to Ali-Delane.

Briggs was arrested in March. Authorities said a search of his residence recovered fentanyl and three firearms, including a handgun that investigators determined had been purchased in North Carolina in 2024.