Mass Shooting in N.J. Kills 2, Leaves 8 Wounded After Gunmen Open Fire on Crowd

More than 50 spent shell casings were recovered after multiple people opened fire on a crowd of about 100 people, per the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office

NEED TO KNOW

• Two people were killed and eight others wounded in an early-morning shooting in Trenton, N.J.
• Investigators believe multiple people approached a block party and opened fire on a crowd of about 100 people
• More than 50 spent shell casings were recovered, and multiple vehicles were struck by gunfire

Two people were killed and eight others were wounded after multiple people opened fire on a crowd gathered at a block party in New Jersey.

The mass shooting occurred around 12:25 a.m. on Sunday, Aug. 30, on the 100 block of Locust Street in the Wilbur section of East Trenton, according to CBS News Philadelphia. A 33-year-old woman and a 42-year-old man died from their injuries, the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office said, per CBS. Officials had not publicly identified them as of Monday afternoon.

Eight other people between the ages of 23 and 43 were wounded and later stabilized, according to the prosecutor’s office.

Investigators believe multiple people approached the gathering and began shooting into a crowd of about 100 people, CBS reported, citing prosecutors.

More than 50 spent shell casings were recovered at the scene, and multiple vehicles were struck by gunfire. Trenton Mayor Reed Gusciora described the event somewhat differently in a statement issued after the shooting, calling it a “large, unauthorized adult gathering” attended by an estimated 200 or more people.

“A gathering of that magnitude creates serious public-safety concerns for the people attending it, the surrounding neighborhood, and the police officers and first responders who must respond when something goes wrong,” Gusciora said.

The mayor also shared details about one of the two people killed, though he declined to identify the victim before law enforcement formally released his name.

Gusciora said the man “had been working to turn his life around after returning home from incarceration” and had recently been recognized for his commitment to reentry and positive change.

“People can change, people deserve the opportunity to rebuild their lives, and it is especially heartbreaking when a life moving in a different direction is cut short by violence,” the mayor said.

Trenton Police Director Steve Wilson told CBS that officers were already at the gathering because there had been reports of a large crowd. An unidentified woman who spoke to the outlet questioned why the gathering had not been broken up earlier, saying she saw two police cars drive past the crowd. Wilson told CBS that when officers are “significantly outnumbered,” they have to wait for additional resources before responding.

Another unidentified person who attended the gathering recalled hearing successive bursts of gunfire.

“I heard two shots first, then about 10 more after, then about 10 more after,” the person told CBS.

Another witness said people scattered as the shots rang out and that he hid behind cars.

“Everybody started running,” he told the outlet. “Bodies on the sidewalk, street, everywhere.”

The Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office Homicide Task Force is leading the investigation. A motive has not been determined, and it was not immediately clear what prompted the shooting, according to CBS.

Gusciora said the city would take additional steps aimed at preventing similarly large unauthorized gatherings, including earlier identification of such events, greater coordination of law-enforcement resources and enforcement of existing ordinances.

“This is not about criminalizing people for gathering together,” he said. “It is about recognizing the difference between a gathering and hundreds of people occupying a residential street without authorization, particularly when firearms and violence become part of that environment.”

The mayor also urged witnesses to preserve photographs, videos, text messages and social-media posts that could help investigators identify those responsible.

“If you know something, say something,” Gusciora said in his statement, reflecting the city’s initial casualty count.

The prosecutor’s office subsequently put the number of surviving victims at eight, according to CBS.

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