NEWARK, NJ — A vigil was held in Newark on Thursday to mourn for a shooting victim killed two weeks ago.
The peace and unity rally took place at the intersection of South Orange and Littleton avenues: the location of a fatal shooting that happened on Sept. 17.
Witnesses said they heard several gunshots before people in the area ran away from the shooting, which took place in "broad daylight." A family member of the victim said the 34-year-old "didn't deserve this," ABC7 News reported.
On Thursday evening, community members gathered for a peace and unity rally at the location of the fatal shooting.
According to Bashir Muhammad Ptah Akinyele, a high school history teacher in Newark who has lost dozens of students to street violence over his 30-year career, activists have been responding to requests from the community to help them hold anti-violence rallies after tragic incidents like the one that took place last month.
Akinyele said that the overall violence reduction plan is working in Newark, which has seen historic drops in crime over the past few years. But it's important to send a message that "senseless community violence is unacceptable in our neighborhoods" – and that's why community members were out in the street on Thursday, he said.
Akinyele pointed out that the Sept. 17 shooting happened in the same neighborhood where a local imam was murdered in 2024. No arrests have been made.
Send local news tips and correction requests to eric.kiefer@patch.com. Find out how to post announcements or events to your local Patch site.
Sign up for free local newsletters and alerts for the
Newark Patch
Patch.com is the nationwide leader in hyperlocal news.
Visit Patch.com to find your town today.