By Walter Elliott
NEWARK – Do not be surprised should the Newark Police Division announce at least a second arrest in the June 30 South Ward drive-by shooting that injured nine people before you read this.
Authorities, since Noon July 4, have a 17-year-old boy in custody in connection with that Thursday night shooting at Clinton Place and Shephard Avenue / St. James Place.
“Our goal is to bring each suspect involved to justice,” said Mayor Ras Baraka at the Monday morning announcement and press conference. “This was a very violent and troublesome incident that we’re taking very, very seriously.”
The nine victims, ranging from 17 to 68 years old, may also have been released from RWJBarnabas Health Newark Beth Israel Medical Center and University Hospital when you read this. They were listed as being in stable condition as of Monday.
The arrested juvenile has been charged with possession of stolen property (a 2016 Black BMW X1), obstruction of the administration of law and resisting arrest.
Acting Newark Public Safety Director Raul Malave, in email and at the conference, said that the teen was connected with the BMW and a white 2011 Honda Pilot that were seen fleeing the shooting scene on Clinton towards Lehigh Avenue at about 6:20 p.m. Thursday. Police found and recovered the abandoned Honda at Elizabeth and Stengel avenues.
(Malave was making his first public appearance as acting director. Baraka, in a 12:24 p.m. July 6 announcement, said that he has recast former director Brian O’Hara Deputy Mayor for Strategic Initiatives for Public Services / Public Safety.)
NPD officers had been looking for the Pilot since early June 30; it had been reported as stolen from Jersey City June 29.
Baraka and Malave said that NPD officers, alerted by ShotSpotter acoustic detectors, left for Clinton Place, where westbound Shephard becomes St. James Place, at 6:20 p.m. that Thursday.
They arrived to find the nine wounded before the 809 Supermarket at the intersection’s southwest corner.
Three adults and the juvenile took themselves to Newark Beth Israel. The other five were taken to University Hospital.
Baraka, Malave, Newark Police Chief Emanuel Miranda and members of the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office said that the shooting was between members of two groups: one from Shephard and Goodwin avenues and the other from Elizabeth Avenue’s 500 block.
The said authorities stressed that the rival parties are not gang-related. Baraka stressed that 60 percent of the city’s reported shootings were from “personal disputes.”
“This isn’t an arbitrary random act of violence,” said the mayor. “These are two groups that’ve been going back and forth.”
Local traffic, including NJTransit’s No. 13 buses heading to or leaving from Irvington’s Chancellor Avenue and Woolsey Street, were detoured during the NPD and ECPO Major Crime Unit’s joint field investigation.
City and County detectives are looking for the BMW and Honda’s other occupants, including the shooter.
NPD also found the black BMW abandoned along Hunterdon Street. That car, reported as being stolen from the Bronx, N.Y., was seen taking the suspects to Jersey City – and the Honda that they stole from there.
The arrested boy has not been charged, as of press time, with weapons possession or aggravated assault.
Regarding corrective measures, Baraka said that his Office of Violence Prevention and Trauma Recovery has, for the second straight summer, “targeted around 150 (at-risk) young people” for a summertime alternate path program.
Malave added that he has deployed extra patrols in the shooting’s neighborhood.
“We know who they are,” said Baraka of the at-large suspects. “We’ve identified who they are, we know where they hang at. Our goal is to bring each suspect to justice; each of the victims in this case obviously deserves that.”
