Somerset County authorities announced the identities of the two homicide victims from the triple shooting on Friday in North Plainfield.
Prosecutor Robertson stated that on Sunday, August 15, the New Jersey Northern Regional Medical Examiners performed a post-mortem examination on the two homicide victims.
Authorities have identified the victims as Mr. Christian Orellana, 31, West 4th Street, Plainfield and Steven Jimenez, 14, West 4th Street, Plainfield.
Police said Christian Orellana and Steven Jimenez both resided together.
According to the police, all three shooting victims are related (cousins).
The Medical Examiner has classified both deaths as homicide. The third shooting victim remains in critical condition at an undisclosed trauma center.
On Friday, August 13, 2021, Prosecutor Robertson stated that at 8:06 p.m., North Plainfield Police responded to a 9-1-1 call reporting multiple shooting victims at the Malcolm Gardens Apartment Complex on Little Place, North Plainfield.
Responding North Plainfield Patrol Officers encountered three male shooting victims, immediately initiated life-saving measures, and requested emergency personnel and medevac assets while securing the crime scene.
Emergency medical personnel from North Plainfield Fire Department Emergency Medical Services, Medic 1 from Atlantic Health Care, and the New Jersey State Police North Star Medevac provided critical life-saving measures and triaged the scene.
Prosecutor Robertson stated that one male shooting victim, Steven Jimenez, 14, was pronounced deceased at the scene. Christian Orellana, 31, was transported via ambulance to an undisclosed trauma center and pronounced dead.
The third male shooting victim, age 28, was medevac to an undisclosed trauma center, where he underwent emergency surgery for multiple gunshot wounds.
Prosecutor Robertson stated that detectives from the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crimes Unit, the Crime Scene Investigations Unit, the North Plainfield Police Department, and Investigators for the New Jersey Northern Regional Medical Examiner’s Office responded to conduct the investigation, which remains ongoing.
Prosecutor Robertson stated that the preliminary investigation has revealed that all three victims were outside on a first-floor patio area of the apartment in which one of the male victims resided. The assailant(s) confronted the victims outside and fired multiple rounds within close proximity of the victims, striking all three male victims, authorities said.