Two people, including a 10-year-old boy, were killed, and three others were injured in a mass shooting in Newark. A 21-year-old woman died from her injuries, while an 11-year-old boy and two men, ages 19 and 60, are recovering and listed in stable condition, according to the Essex County Prosecutor's Office. The gunfire erupted around 7 p.m. on Saturday.
Neighbors said they heard a burst of rapid shots ring out, followed by screams. "It was a lot of screaming," said one resident of a nearby apartment building. Police kept people from returning to the building on Saturday night as the chaos unfolded. An investigation has been launched into the incident.
Bloodbath in Newark
"It was a lot [of gunshots]. More than six," the woman, who asked not to give her name, told NJ.com. Both victims who later died were taken to University Hospital, while Newark Mayor Ras Baraka publicly called on the shooter to turn himself in.
The Democratic mayor issued a statement where he also addressed another tragedy that struck the city earlier that day — the death of a 2-year-old who fell from a window.
"Today was a dark and devastating day in Newark as a small child fell to his death from an apartment window this afternoon and two more innocent souls died in a shooting on Chancellor Avenue," he said.
"Our city mourns the 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," Baraka said.
"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," he said.
Sudden Gunfire
The shooter opened fire along the 300 block of Chancellor Avenue, letting off a barrage of bullets. By Sunday morning, at least 17 evidence markers were visible at the scene, according to WABC.
Officers and plainclothes detectives were out early with flashlights, inspecting what looked like a jacket on the ground as they searched the mostly residential neighborhood, NJ.com reported.
Newark — New Jersey's biggest city, home to more than 300,000 people — recorded a 13% rise in violent crime in the year leading up to May 2024, according to the Newark Public Safety Collaborative at Rutgers University.
But NPSC data also shows that from January 1 to October 26, 2025, the city saw notable drops in aggravated assaults, robberies, and homicides.
The Essex County Prosecutor's Office announced a $10,000 reward for anyone who can provide information that helps lead to an arrest in the case.
