Two men were shot to death in the pre-dawn hours Sunday at what police said was an illegal party in a New Jersey warehouse.

Police in Paterson received a report of gunshots fired shortly before 4 a.m., investigators said. When officers arrived at the address on First Avenue they found a group of about 30 people and two men who had been shot.

Fernando Irby, 24, and Kashif Belfield, 26, both of Paterson, were taken to a local hospital, but neither survived.

Neighbors told NBC 4 New York that the warehouse area is usually very quiet. Ruth Hillas said she was surprised to see the pre-dawn crowd at the site when she arrived for work at an area ambulance company.

"Looked like a movie theater letting out," she said.

Paterson police said the warehouse was the scene of an illegal party. It didn't appear that it was being used as an after-hours club, however, said Paterson Police Director Jerry Speziale.



Such clubs have been popping up in vacant homes and businesses in Paterson and the police have been shutting them down, he said.