Community Corner
Updates In Maplewood Teen's Death; Reward Increases To $50K
There is now a $50,000 reward for information about shooting death of Maplewood teen Moussa Fofana, and prosecutors gave an update.
MAPLEWOOD, NJ — A reward fund for information in the shooting death of a Maplewood teen last month has increased to $50,000, organizers say.
Meanwhile, law enforcement officials, when asked Wednesday, said there have still been no arrests in the investigation.
Columbia High School junior Mourrsa Fofana and another student from the high school were walking through the Underhill Sports Complex on the evening of Sunday, June 6 when they were both shot — Fofana fatally. Friends have said the pair may have been crossing through the field to get to another friend's house to watch a boxing match. READ MORE: Vigil Held For Slain Maplewood Teen
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On Wednesday evening, Essex County Chief Assistant Prosecutor Thomas Fennelly said, when asked for an update on the investigation, "The investigation is active and ongoing. There have been no arrests at this point."
Maplewood Mayor Frank McGehee had released a message in early July saying that the investigation was active, but "While I recognize that we all want the same thing, justice for Moussa, as well as frequent updates, please understand that neither law enforcement nor I can communicate anything prematurely that would compromise the outcome of this investigation."
Find out what's happening in Maplewoodfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Friends and family have described Fofana as a hard-working teen who dreamed of playing professional soccer.
Those who knew him demanded answers at a rally at Columbia High School last month.
"The 6th of June; that was the day of my nightmare," Fofana's mother Hawa said at the evening rally near Columbia High School, which serves both Maplewood and South Orange.
She added, "We’re here today because this beautiful boy has passed on and we have not had justice since. We want justice for this beautiful boy. I walk around the house trying to put this puzzle together. Maplewood, South Orange, I need everybody to put this puzzle for me."
Anyone with tips may call the Essex County Prosecutor's Office at 877-TIPS-4EC. Calls will be kept confidential.
READ MORE: Reward Offered In Death Of Maplewood Teen
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