TRENTON, NJ – New Jersey officials today expressed grave concerns about the rising incidence of mass shootings across the state as the holiday season approaches. This year, New Jersey has witnessed twelve mass shootings, defined as incidents where three or more individuals are shot. These events have resulted in 51 people being shot and seven fatalities.
Mass shootings are plaguing New Jersey’s inner cities, and the death toll is still rising in 2023.
“When any community cannot gather to celebrate without fear of being the victim of the next mass shooting, we have lost our way,” New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy said in January about a mass shooting in California. “We cannot be a nation where such gun violence is tolerated and normalized.”
The majority of these shootings occurred in the state’s largest cities: Jersey City, Paterson, Newark, and Trenton. Each city experienced multiple incidents, with Trenton, Newark, and Paterson each reporting three mass shootings.
In 2021, Murphy passed a comprehensive gun law aimed at stopping mass shootings. It didn’t work, as the following year, the state saw a dozen mass shootings in its urban centers. Instead of addressing inner-city violence in his state, the governor called upon Congress to enact tougher nationwide gun restrictions.
“The American people are waiting in exasperation and terror as members of Congress sit on their hands rather than pass nationwide gun safety legislation,” the governor said. “I introduced a comprehensive gun safety 3.0 package over a year ago and this moment demands that our Legislature finally take action. This legislation will not only make it harder for guns to fall into the wrong hands, but will also give law enforcement greater tools to protect communities – including our children – from gun violence. “
In Trenton, the shootings resulted in ten individuals shot and two fatalities. Paterson experienced thirteen shootings with two deaths. Newark saw ten individuals shot, resulting in three fatalities, while Jersey City reported ten injuries across two incidents.
Another incident occurred in Clifton, adjacent to Paterson, resulting in four people injured.
These statistics highlight a troubling trend in New Jersey’s urban centers, raising alarms among officials and residents alike as they brace for potential further incidents during the upcoming holiday period.
Here is the list of mass shootings that Governor Phil Murphy does not want you to know about in New Jersey.
NEWARK, NJ, JANUARY 26, 2023
A mass shooting outside Homer Liquors at 1079 Broad St in Newark, New Jersey, resulted in one fatality and four injuries. The incident occurred on January 26, 2023, and is being classified as a mass shooting.
The deceased victim, identified as 30-year-old Al-Supreme Davis, was fatally shot in the incident. Four additional victims were injured in the shooting, which took place outside the liquor store. The details of their injuries have not been specified.
PATERSON, NJ, FEBRUARY 13, 2023
A mass shooting in the 50 block of 12th Ave in Paterson, New Jersey, resulted in four young individuals being injured on February 13, 2023. The incident is classified as a mass shooting due to the number of victims involved.
The victims included two 17-year-olds and two adult males aged 18 and 20. The specifics regarding the nature and severity of their injuries have not been detailed.
The shooting occurred near the intersection of Godwin Ave and Summer St.
TRENTON, NJ, MARCH 21, 2023
A mass shooting occurred near Rosilia Food Market, located at 45 N Stockton St in Trenton, New Jersey, leaving four males injured. The incident, which took place in the afternoon or evening, is characterized as a drive-by shooting, involving two unidentified guns.
The victims include a 15-year-old male, a 19-year-old male, a 20-year-old male, and a 27-year-old male. All victims suffered injuries to their lower bodies. The shooting is classified as a mass shooting, defined by the involvement of four or more victims excluding the suspect, in a single location.
Authorities report multiple shooters were involved in this incident, which took place at the intersection of Academy St and N Stockton St.
TRENTON, NJ, APRIL 12, 2023
A drive-by shooting at the intersection of Spring St and Calhoun St in Trenton, New Jersey, resulted in the death of one adult male and injuries to three others. The incident, which took place on April 12, 2023, is being investigated as a mass shooting due to the number of victims involved.
Jared Anderson, an adult male, was killed in the shooting. The three injured victims, all adult males, sustained various gunshot wounds. The first injured victim received gunshot wounds to the right forearm and abdomen. The second victim suffered multiple gunshot wounds to the right upper arm, left abdomen, and upper left thigh.
PATERSON, NJ, APRIL 15, 2023
A significant shootout in Paterson, New Jersey, left six people injured on April 15, 2023. The incident, which occurred at the intersection of 14th Ave and E 22nd St, is being classified as a mass shooting.
The injured include four males, aged 26, 35, 36, and 37, and two females, aged 31 and 33. The nature of their injuries was not specified, but one of the victims, a 35-year-old male, was a hospital walk-in. The ShotSpotter system detected 15 rounds fired during the incident.
This event is noted as a shootout, where the overlap between shooters and victims is indicated. It took place near Madison Ave and 10th Ave, adding to the concerning trend of gun violence in Paterson.
NEWARK, NJ, APRIL 15, 2023
A mass shooting in Newark’s 400 block of Leslie St resulted in one fatality and three injuries on April 15, 2023. The incident is being investigated as a mass shooting.
The deceased victim, 43-year-old Corey Beasley, was fatally wounded in the shooting. Additionally, two males and one female were injured. The extent of their injuries is currently not specified.
The suspect, 42-year-old Antuane Gregory, was arrested unharmed. The shooting took place near the intersection of Chancellor Ave and Leslie St, adding to a series of recent violent incidents in Newark.
TRENTON, NJ, APRIL 20, 2023
A mass shooting at 269 Hamilton Ave in Trenton, New Jersey, resulted in one fatality and three injuries. The incident, classified as a mass shooting due to four or more victims being injured or killed in one location, involved multiple shooters and two unidentified guns.
The deceased victim is identified as Ralph Conquest, a 43-year-old male. Alongside him, two adult males and one adult female were injured in the shooting. The suspects, both adult males, were reportedly unharmed during the incident.
NEWARK, NJ, MAY 07, 2023
A mass shooting on the 300 block of Orange St in Newark, New Jersey, has resulted in the death of one man and injuries to three others. The incident occurred on May 7, 2023, and is classified as a mass shooting.
The deceased victim has been identified as 38-year-old Julius K. Ferguson. In addition to the fatality, three other adult males sustained injuries during the shooting. The severity and nature of their injuries have not been detailed in the report.
CLIFTON, NJ, JUNE 16, 2023
A shooting at Made In Miami Bar & Bistro in Clifton, New Jersey, on June 16, 2023, resulted in four people injured. The incident, classified as a mass shooting, occurred at 39 Harding Ave.
The victims include two males and two females, ranging in age from 27 to 35. All were present at the bar during the incident. Local authorities reported that one firearm was involved in the shooting.
PATERSON, NJ, JULY 05, 2023
A devastating mass shooting occurred on July 5, 2023, at 49 Jersey St in Paterson, New Jersey, leaving two dead and three injured. The incident is classified as a mass shooting due to the number of victims involved.
Among the victims, a 17-year-old male and a 26-year-old male were killed. Additionally, three males, aged 24 and two aged 19, were injured in the shooting. The specifics of their injuries have not been disclosed.
The shooting took place near the intersection of Jersey St and Oliver St.
JERSEY CITY, NJ, SEPTEMBER 10, 2023
A drive-by shooting at the intersection of Martin Luther King Dr and Orient Ave in Jersey City, New Jersey, left five individuals injured. The incident occurred on September 10, 2023, and is being classified as a mass shooting.
The shooting involved an adult male suspect, who was unharmed and reportedly fired shots from a vehicle’s sunroof. One victim was found at the scene, while the four other injured individuals were dropped off at a nearby hospital.
JERSEY CITY, NJ, OCTOBER 1, 2023
A mass shooting occurred at 224 Lounge, located at 260 Culver Ave in Jersey City, New Jersey, resulting in five individuals being injured. The incident took place on October 1, 2023, and is classified as a bar/club incident.
The victims include a 19-year-old male with a gunshot wound (GSW) to the foot, a 20-year-old female with GSWs to the back leg and lower back, a 23-year-old male with a GSW to the right hip, a 24-year-old male with GSWs to the left thigh and right hand, and a 33-year-old male with a GSW to the upper back.