This article is from the source 'nytimes' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/25/nyregion/trenton-shooting-bar.html

The article has changed 4 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 1 Version 2
Trenton Shooting: 9 People Hit by Gunfire Outside Bar Trenton Shooting: 9 People Hit by Gunfire Outside Bar
(about 3 hours later)
At least nine people were wounded early Saturday morning when gunfire was sprayed into a crowd of people outside a bar in Trenton, officials said. TRENTON — Nine people were injured early Saturday morning in a drive-by shooting in front of a bar in Trenton, city officials said.
The police were notified of gunfire at about 12:25 a.m. Saturday outside the bar, Ramoneros Liquor and Bar on Brunswick Avenue. Officers who responded found several victims in and around the bar, the authorities said. People were gathered in front of the bar, Ramoneros Liquor and Bar on Brunswick Avenue, enjoying a seasonable beginning to Memorial Day weekend when a car pulled up and at least one gunman began firing.
Santiago Melli-Huber, a spokesman for the Trenton mayor’s office, said that a total of nine people were shot, and another person suffered minor injuries fleeing the gunfire. The crowd scattered. Some people took cover behind parked cars until the car sped away.
A police spokesman told The Associated Press that the wounded were taken to local hospitals and that one victim was critically wounded and in surgery. This is the second major mass shooting in Trenton in the last year. In June, 22 people were injured after a gunman opened fire at a 24-hour art festival, and 17 of them were shot, with others hurt by being trampled. One person died. “Why is it that these shootings keep going on and on and on?” asked Lisa Austin-Granville, a local pastor who prayed amid blood stains and broken glass on the sidewalk.
“Unfortunately, gun violence is all too common on the streets of Trenton,” Councilman Jerell Blakeley said in a telephone interview on Saturday, citing a recent surge in shootings, including four murders. Ms. Austin-Granville accused the city authorities of failing to prevent shootings, saying, “I should not know so many parents that have lost children.”
“I call for all levels of government in Trenton to work together to develop a comprehensive plan to address this scourge,” he said. “The people of the city of Trenton must be protected.” The wounded were taken to local hospitals and two required emergency surgery, but all were expected to survive, said Mayor Reed Gusciora of Trenton.
Multiple weapons were involved and possibly multiple gunmen, he said. The shooting “could very well be” related to gang rivalries, he said.
This was the second major mass shooting in the last year in Trenton, New Jersey’s capital city, which has a population of 80,000.
In June, 22 people were injured after a gunman opened fire during an art festival, striking 17, with the others hurt by being trampled. One person died.
A Trenton Police Department spokesman, Capt. Stephen Varn, said that of the five homicides in the city this year, four have come in the past month, including an 18-year-old grandson of a mayoral aide.
Of the latest shooting, Captain Varn said, “You have a warm night on the beginning of a holiday weekend, and a large crowd outside, and they end up being a target of opportunity.”
The police on Saturday were still looking for the gunman or gunmen and investigating whether the shooting was gang-related, he said.
Mr. Gusciora blamed lax federal gun laws for the violent outbursts as well as bars becoming “an easy target” for people intent on settling scores.
“We have to address the bar scene in these neighborhoods,” he said, adding that crime in Trenton has declined over the past two years.
“We’re making progress against violent crime” with the help of a new police director who has increased patrols and community policing, the mayor said.
Local gang activity takes the form of rival neighborhood groups, “and this very well could be that,” he said, referring to the shooting.
“We don’t really have traditional gangs. We have neighborhoods that go against other neighborhoods, and it’s that kind of conflict that arises often in the city, and we expect it’s going to continue, especially in the summer months,” he said.
Trenton’s industrial history is famously noted on a local bridge with the phrase “Trenton Makes, the World Takes,” but Mr. Gusciora said the city is working to train its youth for modern economic opportunities and is opening a new high school this year to help prepare students for the changing economy.
Asked about the shooting on Saturday, Senator Cory Booker cited the availability of illegal guns and the problem that violent crime could pose to economic progress in Trenton.
“I think Trenton has so much of what it needs to thrive, but violence is always going to push away investment, and that’s why to get the kind of support and help they need, to drive down the rates of violence, is critical,” he said.
A city councilman, Jerell Blakeley, said, “Unfortunately, gun violence is all too common on the streets of Trenton.” He called for “all levels of government in Trenton to work together to develop a comprehensive plan to address this scourge.”
On Saturday, men played cards at a table set up on the sidewalk near the bar, and a police cruiser was parked nearby.
Ms. Austin-Granville finished praying and said, “These people need to be caught and they need to be taught.”
Nick Corasaniti, Jon Hurdle and William K. Rashbaum contributed reporting.