Gunfire broke out during a vigil in Elizabeth just before 10 p.m. Monday, leaving one person dead and up to four others injured near Irvington Avenue and Oakwood Place. What began as a large gathering ended with a crime scene that stretched for several blocks.
Three victims were taken to University Hospital in Newark, including one person shot in the chest and two others with gunshot wounds to the arms and legs. One person was pronounced dead at the scene, and officials said the total number hurt reached as many as four, even though only three were transported for treatment.
Witnesses described hearing a barrage of shots. One said, “A lot of shots were fired,” while another saw numerous orange evidence markers on the ground and estimated there were upwards of 20. Dozens of shell casings were being processed as investigators worked through the area.
Officials said a red sedan was seen fleeing westbound on Morris Avenue after the shooting. About an hour later, a red sedan was found burning on Hobson Street in Newark, and investigators are trying to determine whether it is connected to the violence in Elizabeth. The shooting also remains unsolved, with no arrests made.
Elizabeth Police referred inquiries to the Union County Prosecutor's Office, which is handling the case. For now, the key question is not whether the vigil was disrupted; it is whether the burning car is part of the same chain of events that turned a Monday night gathering into a fatal shooting.
