Paterson police are investigating the city's fifth slaying in less than four weeks.
Authorities say 30-year city resident Mark Harris was gunned down around 3 a.m. Sunday on a city street. A motive for the slaying remains under investigation, but authorities say Harris had been recently freed after serving a lengthy prison term for drug charges.
Harris was shot in the torso and was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead a short time later.
The shooting occurred less than three blocks from Paterson's most recent homicide, which occurred July 8 when 50-year-old Keith Anderson was fatally stabbed on 12th Avenue.
The city's three other slay victims were killed in three separate shootings that occurred between June 22 and July 5.
