JERSEY CITY, NJ – Hudson County Prosecutor Esther Suarez has revealed that the Homicide Unit has charged 18-year-old Sylis Lopez, of Union City, in connection with the fatal shooting of Rafael Gomez. The incident occurred on Sunday, January 29, in Jersey City.
Lopez faces multiple charges, including murder as an accomplice, conspiracy to commit murder, and weapon-related offenses. He was arrested on Tuesday, at the Hudson County Correctional Facility, where he is currently detained on unrelated matters.
At approximately 9:35 p.m. on the night of the incident, the Jersey City Police Department responded to reports of shots fired at Summit Avenue and Poplar Street. They discovered Rafael Gomez, a 25-year-old resident, with a gunshot wound to the torso. He was transported to the Jersey City Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead shortly after 11 p.m.
The Regional Medical Examiner’s Office has confirmed that the cause of death was a gunshot wound to the torso, ruling it a homicide.
Anyone with information relevant to this case is asked to contact the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office Homicide Unit.