NEWARK, N.J. – A deadly burst of gunfire tore through a South Ward neighborhood Saturday evening, leaving a young woman and a 10-year-old boy dead and three others hospitalized, officials said.
The shooting erupted around 7 p.m. near Chancellor Avenue and Leslie Street, according to the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office.
A $10,000 reward was offered within hours as investigators worked through the night to determine what sparked the violence.
“Today was a dark and devastating day in Newark as a small child fell to his death from an apartment window this afternoon and then two more innocent souls died in a shooting on Chancellor Avenue. Our city mourns loss of the baby, and the depraved and senseless killing of a 21-year-old woman and a 10-year-old boy taken from their parents as their young lives were just blossoming,” said Newark Mayor Ras Baraka. “There is no explanation on earth that could come close to justifying this shooting. Coming in the midst of the city’s historic reduction in violence, this is a vivid reminder that there is so much more work we must do. No one is exempt from doing their part to help and heal one another.”
Key Points
- A 21-year-old woman and a 10-year-old boy were killed in the shooting.
- Three other victims — an 11-year-old boy, a 19-year-old man, and a 60-year-old man — were hospitalized in stable condition.
- Police cordoned off a large section of Chancellor Avenue as detectives searched for evidence late into the night.
Investigators comb South Ward street for evidence
Authorities said the victims were rushed to University Hospital, where the woman and boy succumbed to their injuries. The other three victims remained under medical care but were expected to survive.
At the crime scene, officers and plainclothes detectives swept the area with flashlights, examining the sidewalk and the fronts of nearby stores. Several were seen inspecting a jacket left near the curb, believed to belong to one of the victims.
Neighborhood shaken by sudden violence
The shooting unfolded in a residential section surrounded by small businesses — a liquor store, a laundromat, a nail salon, and a mosque. Residents of an apartment building on Leslie Street were temporarily barred from reentering their homes as investigators secured the area.
Reward offered as investigation continues
No arrests were announced as of late Saturday night. The Essex County Prosecutor’s Office and Newark Police Department urged anyone with information to come forward, emphasizing that the $10,000 reward remains active for tips leading to an arrest and conviction.
Detectives continued to gather evidence Sunday as community members grappled with the latest instance of deadly gun violence in Newark’s South Ward.
“We will not rest until there is justice for the parents and families left behind in unspeakable pain and grief. Newark will work tirelessly with the prosecutor’s office, state law-enforcement, and federal agencies to ensure justice is served. We urge the killer to turn himself in, as there is no safe place to hide,” the mayor added. “Our hearts go out to the victims, their families, and everyone affected by this trauma. Our prayers are with them — and our actions will support them.”