Man Allegedly Fired Bullet That Hit Newark Girl, 5: Prosecutor

NEWARK, NJ — Authorities have arrested a man who allegedly fired a bullet that struck and injured a 5-year-old girl as she was walking with her father on the evening of July 4th in Newark. The 30-year-old alleged shooter wasn’t aiming at the child, prosecutors said.

On Saturday, police arrested Jamar Battle, 30, of Newark, a convicted felon accused of firing a handgun on Avon Avenue in Newark during a verbal dispute with another person last month. While Battle didn’t hit his intended target, the bullet unintentionally struck a 5-year-old girl, the U.S. Attorney’s New Jersey office stated.

The child was hospitalized and received medical treatment for a non-life-threatening wound, authorities said.

Battle turned himself in to authorities, ABC New York reported.

The injured youth has spent most of the summer in a wheelchair and it will be months before she can walk on her own, ABC New York stated.

• See related article: Newark Child, 5, Shot On July 4th While Walking With Dad

Battle appeared in a Newark federal court on Monday and was ordered to be detained. He was charged on Aug. 10 with one count of being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.

The charge of being a felon in possession of a weapon carries a maximum potential penalty of 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000, prosecutors said.

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