Newark Boy, 12, Shot Inside Home Is 'Lucky To Be Alive,' Cops Say

NEWARK, NJ — A 12-year-old boy is “lucky to be alive” after being hit by a bullet while he was inside his home on Friday night, Newark authorities said.

The shooting took place at 9:55 p.m. near a residence on 17th Avenue in the city’s Central Ward, according to the Newark Department of Public Safety.

The bullet entered the home near a window, where the child was located at the time, police said.

Emergency responders transported the child to University Hospital for treatment. He has since been released, police said Saturday.

“Thankfully, the young man is going to be okay,” Newark Public Safety Director Anthony Ambrose said. “He’s very lucky to be alive.”

Ambrose said police recovered an unoccupied vehicle believed to be involved in the shooting, which he called “outrageous.”

“When a child gets shot in one of our neighborhoods, that’s when we all should be up in arms,” Ambrose said, adding that detectives are “actively following leads.”

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