10-year-old boy among dead in Newark mass shooting

A 10-year-old boy and 21-year-old woman were killed Saturday night in a mass shooting in Newark’s South Ward that left three other victims wounded, including another child, according to the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office.

Newark police officers were called to the 300 block of Chancellor Avenue at around 7:00 pm Saturday evening. City and county officials said the other victims are an 11-year-old boy, a 19-year-old man, and a 60-year-old man, who are recovering.

None of the victims’ names have been released.

Newark Mayor Ras Baraka called the violence “depraved and senseless,” in a statement late Saturday night.

“There is no explanation on Earth that could come close to justifying this shooting,” said Baraka. “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.”

Authorities say the investigation is “active and ongoing” and no additional information was available Saturday night.

Data from the Newark Public Safety Collaborative shows that violent crime is down this year. Homicides dipped by 22%. Aggravated assaults are down by 15% and robberies fell by 37%, between Jan. 1 and Oct. 26.

“My entire department is at the hospital,” Lamont Vaughn of Newark’s Office of Violence Prevention and Trauma Recovery told NBC New York. He is calling on parents of teenagers to get involved in the fight against gun violence. “Don’t wait for it to hit your doorstep. Let’s be proactive instead of reactive.”

Gov. Phil Murphy, writing about the mass shooting on X, asked people to “Please pray for the victims and their families.”

Anyone with information regarding this case is asked to contact the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office Tips Line at 1-877-TIPS-4EC or 1-877-847-7432. All calls will remain confidential.

Essex County Sheriff Amir Jones announced Saturday night that a reward of up to $10,000 is being offered through the Essex County Crime Stoppers program for information leading to an arrest in this case.