13-Year-Old’s Birthday Party Disrupted by Nearby Shooting in New Jersey, Leaving 1 Dead

On April 18, 2026, a sudden gunfire disrupted a 13-year-old girl’s birthday party in New Jersey. ABC 7 reported that the deadly gun violence turned a backyard celebration into a scary scene with one killed, and multiple people injured in the shootout.

The police confirmed that one of the three injured victims was a teenage girl. The violence was reported around 6:30 p.m. near East 29th Street and 10th Avenue in Paterson.

The birthday girl said the group had been getting ready to sing “Happy Birthday” when the shooting started. At first, the kids assumed the sound was fireworks before they realised that it was a real shooting.

Instead of blowing out candles and enjoying the party, the children ducked for cover after hearing rapid gunfire in the distance. She described the moment as scary.

"Just hearing it - it was scary to witness, to hear. Especially on my birthday. Like a time I'm trying to play with my friends, get together,” the 13-year-old girl described.

The girl further told ABC 7 that she saw two people get out of a car and open fire before running off. The witness described the shooting as sounding like an automatic weapon.

"He was going to the bodega - he went running back, but he had seen two people come out of a car and then shoot, but it was like an automatic gun," the kid added.

After the shots rang out, bystanders watched emergency crews help the wounded. One victim was found lying in the street beside a car, while another was on the ground next to a bicycle.

The birthday girl said that at first, she and others thought the sound might have been fireworks. But once sirens arrived, and people realized someone had been shot, the guests left immediately to go home out of fear.

"First, we thought it was fireworks, but then we heard sirens, and everyone started going home because they were scared," the 13-year-old girl said.

Local councilman Luis Velez said Paterson has tried to reduce crime in the area, including by adding security cameras in what he called a hotspot.

"Paterson Police is doing their job as I know, they're doing a great job to reduce crime, but once again, we, the police, nobody, not even the news media, has a crystal ball to say this is going to happen now,” Luis Velez said.

Velez said that people are scared to report anything of this sort and said, “Some people see corners getting built up, they see activities, and they're afraid to come out and say something, but our police department is trained to keep it confidential and approach to bring the quality of life in this area.”

He also urged the community to work with the police and share information. But even with those efforts, the shooting showed how hard it can be to stop violence before it happens.