At Least 10 Shot, 2 Killed At NJ Block Party: Authorities

TRENTON, NJ — At least 10 people were shot, two of whom died, early Sunday morning at a large block party in Trenton, according to authorities, who said no one was immediately arrested.

Police 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.

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"Multiple suspects walked up to the party and began to fire into the crowd," the Mercer County Prosecutor's Office said in a news release. "The scene encompassed the entire 100 block of Locust Street and more than 50 spent shell casings were located. Multiple vehicles were struck by gunfire."

The victims were all transported to Capital Health Regional Medical Center either by ambulance or private vehicle, according to the prosecutor's office. Two of the victims, a 33-year-old woman and a 42-year-old man, were pronounced dead, authorities said, and eight other victims — two women and six men ranging in age from 23 to 43 — were treated and stabilized.

"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."

'If You Know Something, Say Something'

The 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." The prosecutor's office characterized the event as a block party and said it was attended by about 100 people.

"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."

Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective Jennifer Eyster at 609-989-6406, authorities said. Tips can also be submitted anonymously online at www.mercercountyprosecutor.com.