Passaic police say the shooting was reported around 3:15 a.m. Sunday.
They say the three men were standing in front of a home one Hope Avenue when a gunman walked up and opened fire.
Authorities say 31-year-old Alejandro Leal was shot several times in the neck and arm.
He was pronounced dead at a hospital a short time later.
The two wounded men - 27-year-old Fernando Ponce, of Passaic, and 28-year-old Lorenzo Cantu, of Clifton, were both treated at hospitals and released.
Ponce was shot in the leg, while Cantu was shot in the hand.
Through heartbreak and tears, Leal's loved ones placed candles and flowers where he lost his life.
"He was a beautiful person," friend Eric Perez said. "Never any trouble, he was humble, don't know who did that to him."
Detectives spend the day looking for evidence and checking for surveillance cameras that may have captured the crime.
Police say they do have a person of interest they're looking for, but are not yet ready to release a name.