Teacher Possibly Knew Of Mass Shooting, But Did Too Little: MCPO

Authorities are taking a teacher to task for allegedly posting possible information about what became the worst mass shooting in New Jersey history on Facebook, but doing nothing else.

Mercer County Prosecutor Angelo Onofri said the Facebook post came from a teacher in Hamilton Township that was uploaded while she was in North Carolina. The post was made at 12:30 p.m. on Sunday – about 10 hours before the fatal shooting that left 17 wounded and 1 dead in Trenton.

Mayor-elect Reed Gusciora has said the shooting appears to be a turf war between neighborhood gangs. He and Jerell Blakeley, who was recently elected councilman-at-large, said authorities are investigating a Facebook post that said: “Please. Please. Please. Do Not Go to the Art All Night. They will be shooting it up.”

During a press conference on Tuesday, Onofri said his office was in the process of trying to track down how the teacher obtained that information. But he also questioned why Danielle Grady, a health and physical education teacher at George E. Wilson Elementary School and track and field coach at Hamilton High West, didn't contact law enforcement.

"If you see something, if you hear something, say something," Onofri said during a Tuesday press conference. "Why a person would post on Facebook if they were this concerned about violence breaking out at this event."

"There were only three numbers they needed to remember and that's 911," he said.

The attorney for Grady confirmed to Patch that she made the Facebook post. Grady has been suspended indefinitely from the Hamilton district with pay, according to the attorney, Robin Lord.

Lord ripped the MCPO, saying Trenton police knew about Grady's Facebook post allegedly predicting a shooting at Trenton’s Art All Night festival, and quite possibly knew independently that violence was going to occur on Sunday morning.

Lord claims Trenton Police officer Jamar Booker allegedly told his supervisor, Peter Weremijenko, about the threat around 8 p.m. Saturday night after seeing Grady’s Facebook post online.

"It's shameful," Lord said about the MCPO's remarks. "They owe her an apology."

A third suspected gunman was identified and charged in connection with one of the worst mass shootings in New Jersey history on Tuesday, leaving 17 people with gunshot wounds before one gunman was shot and killed, and police arrested another. The gang-related tragedy happened at the annual Art All Night event in Trenton on Father's Day.

Davone White, 26, of Trenton, the third gunman charged (pictured below), remains hospitalized in stable condition, the Mercer County Prosecutor's Office announced on Tuesday. There is no court appearance scheduled at this time.

Tahaij Wells, 32, who just was released from prison on "homicide-related charges" in February, and Amir "Mir" Armstrong, 23, were the first two suspected gunmen identified in the mass shooting on Father's Day. The shooting took place at just before 3 a.m. at an event that had 1,000 people in attendance, with gang members and officers firing at one another.

White is charged with unlawful possession of a weapon and possession of a large-capacity magazine, according to the MCPO. Armstrong was also charged with unlawful possession of a weapon.

"We should all keep praying for their full recoveries and we will ensure all those responsible for this lawlessness will be brought to justice," New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said of the tragedy during a Monday press conference.

Three of the 17 people who suffered gunshot wounds – including a 13-year-old boy – were listed in stable condition Tuesday, according to the Mercer County Prosecutor's Office. Overall, 22 people were hurt in what the MCPO called a "mass casualty shooting."

Read more: NJ Fatal Mass Shooting Updates: 17 Shot In Trenton, Gunmen ID'd

Tahaij Wells, 32, is dead (pictured left), and another, Amir "Mir" Armstrong, 23, is in police custody and charged with unlawful possession of a handgun (pictured right). Both were identified as Trenton residents.

Wells, meanwhile, long had trouble with the law, and engaged in gang activity, for nearly two decades. He was sentenced in 2004 to 18 years in state prison after pleading guilty to aggravated manslaughter in the fatal shooting of a 22-year-old man, according to the state Department of Corrections. Wells was 17 but was tried as an adult.

The Father's Day shooting occurred when multiple people attending Trenton's 2018 Art All Night Event, located at the Historic Roebling Wire Works at 675 South Clinton Ave., opened fire within the venue, according to Mercer County Prosecutor Angelo J. Onofri.

Trenton police responded at approximately 2:50 a.m. when "multiple males at the event shot multiple people attending," according to the MCPO. Video shown below shows the scene.

Prior to the shooting, there were numerous physical altercations inside and outside the art event venue. The MCPO said the mood inside had been changing and police told organizers that the event needed to be shut down.

Some of the people involved in the altercations apparently had some connections to a "gang dispute" in the area. They continued to fight even as the event was shutting down. The altercations then apparently escalated in gunfire, according to the MCPO. The suspects were shooting at each other.

The suspects were wounded when police arrived on scene, according to the MCPO. The 17 people who suffered gunshot injuries and were being treated at local hospitals. Multiple weapons were recovered.

The Art All Night organizers, who ultimately canceled the event, offered their heartfelt sympathies: "We’re very shocked. We’re deeply saddened. Our hearts ache and our eyes are blurry but our dedication and resolve to building a better Trenton through community, creativity and inspiration will never fade. Not tonight. Not ever."

Murphy, who just signed six gun-control bills into law this past week, said "there's still more work to do" in trying to prevent gun violence in local communities. He decried other states for being permissive in their gun laws and enabling people to easily transport firearms into New Jersey from elsewhere.

"We're getting stronger and better but we're a long way from getting rid of this senselessness," he said.

Video from the scene: Viewer discretion advised.

YouTube photo/video