Trenton homicide victim identified as 19-year-old Darryl Ford

A Trenton man shot to death Wednesday in the city’s East Ward was parked in a car with two passengers when he was ambushed by a unknown assailant who remains at large, authorities said.

Darryl S. Ford (contributed photo)

Darryl S. Ford (contributed photo)

Darryl Ford, 19, was found in the driver’s seat of a green Hyundai Tucson that had crashed into the side of a Hamilton Avenue building suffering from multiple gunshot wounds on the 400 block of Ardmore Avenue after police were dispatched around 8:30 p.m. on a report of gunfire.

Ford was taken to Capital Health Regional Medical Center where he was pronounced dead less than an hour later, authorities said. He became the city’s second murder in a span of 24 hours after a stretch of nearly a month without a homicide.

Ford was parked with two passengers on Ardmore Avenue when they were approached by unknown black man, clad in black mask and hooded sweatshirt, authorities said. The man opened fire on the vehicle as Ford attempted to drive away. He was struck and veered off the road and into the building. The other two individuals were not injured.

Investigators were on scene looking for evidence inside the car, but it was unclear the extent of damage to the building.

The murder is being investigated by the Mercer County Homicide Task Force. Authorities did not say whether they have identified a motive in the slaying.

Ford was arrested and charged last year with carrying a concealed handgun in his waistband following a foot chase with police. Police recovered a stolen Glock .357 loaded with hollow-point bullets.

Ford was charged with unlawful possession of a handgun, possession of a stolen handgun, possession of a handgun with intent to use it unlawfully, possession of hollow point bullets, resisting arrest by flight and criminal trespass.

A spokesperson for the County Prosecutor’s Office didn’t have details regarding the status of those earlier charges against Ford.

Ford’s death was the city’s second homicide in the last day and its fifth of the year. Former city boxer Steven Quinton Brannon, 46, was fatally shot in the throat on East Hanover Street and later died at the hospital.

Anyone with information can contact Mercer County Homicide Task Force at 609-989-6406 or the Trenton Police confidential tip line at 609-989-3663.

Editor’s note: This report has been updated with an alternate picture of Ford at the request of his family.

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