An attempted robbery of an Elizabeth convenience store Sunday night may have led to the shooting that killed one man and left a second wounded, authorities said this afternoon.
Police responded to a corner convenience store located on the 400 block of Jackson Avenue Sunday at approximately 8:45 p.m., according to reports.
Upon arrival, police found two injured men, a 57-year-old and a 61-year-old.
Both victims were rushed to a local hospital, where the 57-year-old was pronounced dead at approximately 4:30 a.m. this morning.
The identity of the fatal victim is being withheld pending notification of next-of-kin.
The other shooting victim remains hospitalized in stable condition, and an investigation has revealed that this incident stemmed from an apparent attempted robbery of the convenience store.
As of this afternoon, there is no known evidence indicating that the two shootings were related.
Both homicides remain under joint investigation by the Union County Homicide Task Force and the Elizabeth Police Department.
Anyone with information about the death of Mr. Smith is being urged to contact Prosecutor’s Office Sgt. Jose Vendas at 908-358-3048 or Detective Brendan Sullivan at 908-966-0999.
The Union County Crime Stoppers also are offering a reward of up to $5,000 for information leading to an arrest and indictment on this case; tips can be given anonymously by phone at 908-654-TIPS(8477), via text message by texting “UCTIP” and a message to 274637 (CRIMES), or online at www.uctip.org.
This was the city's second shooting on Sunday.
See more: Authorities Investigate Fatal Shooting in Elizabeth