A Union County grand jury has returned an indictment against two Plainfield men charged in connection with a May shooting that resulted in the death of an innocent bystander, acting Union County Prosecutor Grace H. Park announced Thursday.
Diniek Forbes, 18, and Shaquille Spruiel, 23, are both charged with murder, conspiracy to commit murder, and two weapons offenses for their roles in the killing of 37-year-old Willie Lee Major of Plainfield.
Plainfield Police Division patrol units responding to a report of gunshots being fired rushed to the 400 block of West 4th Street shortly after 6:45 p.m. on Wednesday, May 25, 2016 and found Major, who was pronounced dead at the scene.
An investigation involving the Prosecutor’s Office’s Homicide Task Force, the Plainfield Police Division, the Union County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Unit, and the Union County Police Department Ballistics Unit resulted in Forbes and Spruiel being identified as suspects.
The investigation also revealed that Major was not believed to be the intended target of the shooting.
Forbes was arrested in June, Spruiel in July, with bail being set at $1.4 million and $2 million, respectively.
Anyone with information about this matter still is being urged to contact Homicide Task Force Sgt. Johnny Ho at 908-403-8271or Detective Danika Ramos at 908-451-7739.
Convictions on murder charges are typically punishable by terms of 30 years to life in state prison.