Cops Offer $15K Reward To Catch Newark Park Shooter

NEWARK, NJ — Essex County authorities have increased a crime stoppers reward in an effort to catch the person who fatally shot Godfrey Jones Jr. at a park in Newark more than six years ago, prosecutors recently announced.

The shooting took place in the county-run Weequahic Park in 2018, according to the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office.

Here’s what happened, authorities said:

“On the evening of August 6, 2018, Godfrey Jones Jr., 25, was with a female companion in Weequahic Park when he was shot and killed. The female companion stated that two suspects approached them and asked the victim his name. The suspect shot Jones Jr. before he could answer.”

Witnesses said the suspects were men. One was thin and was wearing a baseball cap with white lettering. The other was heavyset and was wearing a stocking cap, police said.

The suspects’ vehicle was reported to be a four-door Nissan Altima made between the years of 2015 and 2018.

After the shooting, authorities put out a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of the person or persons responsible for the fatal shooting. That reward has now been increased to $15,000, police announced last week.

Authorities said anyone with information can contact the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office tips line at 1-877-TIPS-4EC or 1-877-847-7432.

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