11 Shot, 2 Killed In NJ Mass Shooting At Event Attended By Hundreds, Mayor Says

TRENTON, NJ — Eleven people were shot, two of whom died, early Sunday morning at an event attended by hundreds in a residential neighborhood in Trenton, according to the mayor’s office.

Officers responded around 12:25 a.m. to reports of shots fired in the 100 block of Locust Street in the Wilbur section of East Trenton, Mayor W. Reed Gusciora said in a news release, adding that the nine victims who survived were taken to receive medical treatment.

“We understand that one of the individuals who lost his life had been working to turn his life around after returning home from incarceration and had recently been recognized for his commitment to reentry and positive change,” Gusciora said in the news release.

“Until his identity is formally released by law enforcement, I will not identify him. But his story is an important reminder of why we do this work: people can change, people deserve the opportunity to rebuild their lives, and it is especially heartbreaking when a life moving in a different direction is cut short by violence.”

The Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office is investigating the shooting, according to the news release.

“If you know something, say something. If you have video, preserve it. If you saw who had a weapon or who fired, provide that information to investigators,” Gusciora said in the news release. “Protecting someone responsible for taking a life only puts another family and another neighborhood at risk.”

The shooting occurred at what the mayor’s office described as “a large, unauthorized adult gathering involving hundreds of people on a residential street,” with an estimated 200 or more people present.

“The City of Trenton will be taking additional proactive measures to prevent unauthorized gatherings of this size from taking over residential streets,” Gusciora said in the news release.

“This is not about criminalizing people for gathering together. It is about recognizing the difference between a gathering and hundreds of people occupying a residential street without authorization, particularly when firearms and violence become part of that environment.”