Child’s Fatal Shooting Sparks Outrage, Mourning In Newark

EDITOR'S NOTE: Read our update to this article here.

NEWARK, NJ — One by one, balloons rose into the air above Osborne Terrace in Newark. It was a heartbreaking tribute to the memory of Yasin Morrison – and a tearful show of support for the late 9-year-old’s family, who continue to mourn his loss after last week’s tragic shooting.

Morrison was killed in a shooting that took place Friday around 5:30 p.m. on the 100-block of Osborne Terrace. As the autistic and non-verbal youth stepped out of an Uber – which he’d taken to his grandparents’ house along with his father and sister – he was caught in a crossfire of bullets that also grazed his dad, reports say.

A 36-year-old man was also found with a gunshot wound nearby, police said.

The search for Morrison’s killer continues. The Essex County Sherriff’s Office is offering a $10,000 reward for information that leads to an arrest. Anyone with information can contact 1-877-TIPS-4-EC.

A GoFundMe campaign has been launched to help the family raise money for funeral and memorial expenses. View it or make a donation online here.

The shooting has ignited outrage in New Jersey’s largest city.

“It is sickening to me that anyone would be so deranged to recklessly endanger an innocent child,” Newark Mayor Ras Baraka said. “And that the child lost his life, is just infuriating to me as a father myself.”

“We will not tolerate this reckless and dangerous behavior,” he continued. “The killer should know— we are coming after you. We are not going to rest until we find you, so turn yourself in now.”

• See Related: Young Boy Fatally Shot In Newark; 'We Will Find You,' Mayor Tells Killer

An outpouring of support for the bereaved has been swelling across Newark in the wake of Morrison’s death.

On Saturday, dozens of community members gathered to release balloons in Morrison’s memory at an event organized by his family (see photos above). A prayer vigil took place on Sunday.

At 6 p.m. on Monday, the Newark Anti-Violence Coalition (NAVC) plans to hold an anti-violence demonstration at the intersection of Osborne Terrace and Hawthorne Avenue.

The rally will mourn for Morrison, as well as other people who have lost their lives to violence in Newark this year. One Hood, New Direction, the Brick City Peace Collective, and the Mayor’s Office of Violence Prevention and Trauma Recovery also plan to join the rally, organizers said.

• See Related: Deadly Shootings Claim 2 Lives In Newark To Start New Year
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Bashir Muhammad Path Akinyele, a local history teacher and a member of the coalition, said that Morrison’s death sent shock waves through the city.

“Many in the community were, and are still, outraged over the murder of an innocent little kid,” he wrote in an op-ed on Patch. Read More: Senseless Community Violence Claims the Life of a Little Boy

Meanwhile, the mourning continues for Morrison, a devoted sibling and a “sweet boy” who loved chicken nuggets and “The Incredibles.”

“You killed an innocent child,” the boy’s aunt, Markeida Morrison, said at Saturday’s vigil.

“My nephew didn’t deserve this,” she said.

CRIME IN NEWARK

Local public safety officials have pointed out that Newark has seen big drops in violent crime over the past few decades.

Despite an uptick in some types of crime last year – such as robberies and aggravated assaults – Newark also saw a 23 percent decrease in murders and a 9 percent decrease in non-fatal shootings. Read More: Violent Crime Rises In Newark – But Is Still Lower Than Past Decades

“This year’s crime stats reflect reductions in every crime category when compared to Newark’s crime stats from almost 60 years ago,” Public Safety Director Emanuel Miranda Sr. said.

“Our data shows that Newark experienced 84 murders in 1967,” he added. “While one murder is one too many, that statistic has been reduced by 56 percent this year.”

It’s a trend that has been happening for years, officials say. Read More: Newark Is Becoming A Safer Place To Live, Crime Stats Show

Newark officials have credited part of the turnaround from past decades to a new approach to policing, which views crime and violence as a “public health” issue that can only be fixed by working with the community – not simply making more arrests.

• See Related: Obama Praises Newark's Efforts To Stop Violence By Boosting Its Youth
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• See Related: Newark Mom Lost 3 Sons To Violence. She's Helping Her City Fight Back

Others have been less optimistic about the progress that has been made in Newark, however.

“Gun violence in Newark is no longer just a crime problem—it is a full-blown public health crisis,” a community member wrote in a recent op-ed on Patch.

“The trauma it inflicts on communities is a festering wound, deep and untreated,” the op-ed continued. “While elected officials issue statements and make promises, families are left to grieve, children are left to fear the streets they once played on, and a city is left without answers.”

“Yasin’s death is not an isolated tragedy—it is part of a relentless cycle of violence that Newark’s leadership has failed to break,” the author added.

• See Related: Newark’s Gun Violence Crisis: A City Failing Its Children and Families (Op-Ed)

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