Mass Shooting Leaves 2 Dead, Including 10-Year-Old Boy

A quiet Saturday evening in Newark turned into a nightmare when bursts of gunfire tore through a residential block, killing a 10-year-old boy and a 21-year-old woman and leaving three others wounded.

Police say the shooting erupted just after 7 p.m. on the city’s South Ward, a neighborhood already struggling with a spike in gun violence this fall. Witnesses described chaos as families ducked for cover and children screamed.

“I thought it was fireworks at first,” said local resident Mariah Lewis, who lives a few doors down. “Then I saw people running and heard someone yelling, ‘A kid’s been shot!’ I’ll never forget that sound.”

According to the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, the victims — identified only as a 10-year-old boy and a 21-year-old woman — were rushed to University Hospital, where they were later pronounced dead. Three others, including an 11-year-old boy and two men aged 19 and 60, were treated for gunshot wounds and are listed in stable condition.

Mayor Ras Baraka condemned the attack in an emotional statement late Saturday night.

“This is a dark and devastating day for Newark,” Baraka said. “A child and a young woman — both with their whole lives ahead of them — taken by the kind of senseless violence that should have no place in our city.”

Baraka vowed to work with state and federal officials to track down the shooter, calling for “community courage” and urging anyone with information to come forward. The Essex County Prosecutor’s Office has offered a $10,000 reward for tips leading to an arrest.

Investigators have not yet disclosed a motive, but sources say detectives are reviewing surveillance footage and interviewing witnesses who claim the gunfire may have stemmed from an escalating neighborhood dispute.

Residents say they’re heartbroken — and angry.

“We can’t keep losing our kids,” said community activist Terrence Hall. “Newark has too many mothers crying at night. We need to do more than just light candles.”

The deadly shooting comes amid a surge in gun violence across New Jersey’s largest city. According to state data, Newark has recorded more than 25 shooting incidents since September — many involving teenagers and young adults.

As detectives comb the scene for shell casings and clues, the families of the victims are left to grapple with unbearable loss. One mourner at a makeshift vigil Sunday night placed a teddy bear on the curb where the 10-year-old fell. “He was just playing outside,” she whispered through tears. “He didn’t deserve this.”

Anyone with information is urged to contact the Essex County Prosecutor’s tip line at 1-877-TIPS-4EC.