New Jersey Mayor Calls For Stricter Gun Control Laws After Boy’s Fatal Shooting

NEWARK, NJ — Newark’s mayor is calling for Congress to enact stronger national gun control laws after the tragic shooting death of a 10-year-old boy in his home last week.

Newark police officers arrived at a multi-family home on the 800 block of South 19th Street around 1:25 a.m. on Saturday after receiving reports about a shooting, according to a joint statement from the Essex County Prosecutor's Office and the Newark Public Safety Department.

The officers found a 10-year-old boy in a third-floor apartment at the residence suffering from an apparent gunshot wound, authorities said.

Emergency responders transported the child to University Hospital in Newark, where he was pronounced dead at 1:48 a.m., prosecutors said.

"The shooting appears to be a tragic accidental discharge by another juvenile within the home," prosecutors stated Sunday. "At this point, there is no evidence that the shooting occurred outside the home into the apartment."

No arrests in connection to the shooting have been made, prosecutors said.

• See related article: Essex County Boy, 10, Dies After Being Shot Inside Home, Prosecutor Says
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On Monday, Newark Mayor Ras Baraka issued a statement calling for tighter gun control laws in the wake of the tragedy.

“Last week an 11-year-old was holding a gun in a private home in Newark when the gun discharged accidentally, killing Josiah Coleman, just 10-years-old,” Baraka said. “How many more tragedies must we endure before Congress gets the courage to enact strong national gun controls?”

Baraka continued:

“Despite the work of the Newark Police Division to take 500 guns off our streets last year, guns of all kinds continue to flow into Newark along the interstates and back roads. These guns are being purchased in other states, and the fact that New Jersey has the strongest gun controls in America is not enough to stop them. We need strong national gun control. There are too many guns in too many hands in Newark and across America."

• See related article: New Jersey Among States 'Least Dependent' On Gun Industry, Study Says
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