Fatal Essex County Shooting; Suspects Saved From Fiery Car Crash

ESSEX COUNTY, NJ -- A group of suspects fleeing the scene of a fatal shooting in Essex County on Friday night crashed their car and had to be rescued from the flaming wreck, authorities said.

The fatal shooting took place around 9:30 p.m. on the 100-block of Evergreen Avenue. When police arrived on the scene after receiving a 911 call, officers found Shakeem Bernard, 27, of Newark, with a gunshot wound. Emergency responders transported Bernard to University Hospital. He was pronounced dead at the hospital, the Essex County Prosecutor's Office stated.

Police on the scene saw a vehicle leave the scene that contained suspects in the shooting. While trying to make their escape, the suspects crashed their car on Frelinghuysen Avenue, trapping them inside the vehicle.

Emergency responders had to extricate the suspects from the flaming car; none sustained serious injuries, police said.

The suspects are in custody and a police investigation is ongoing. No additional information was immediately available, authorities said.

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