By: Richard L. Smith
A tense situation unfolded today on the Newark/East Orange border as police established crime scenes at two separate locations following a shooting incident involving a child shot in his chest.
The situation began around 10:40 a.m. when officials at Bragaw Avenue School on Leslie Street placed the school on lockdown.
This action came in response to hearing approximately nine gunshots outside the building.
A ShotSpotter activation promptly alerted the police headquarters, leading to a rapid response by officers.
At the scene, they discovered shell casings but no immediate victims.
In a related incident around 11 a.m., police received reports of a person shot at 79 Grand Street.
Upon arrival, they found a 13-year-old boy with gunshot wounds. The boy was urgently transported to University Hospital, though his current condition remains unconfirmed.
Investigators, linking the two incidents, located the vehicle the injured boy arrived in and believe he was connected to the earlier Leslie Street shooting.
No other injuries have been reported in this incident, which is still developing.
Authorities are actively investigating, seeking to understand the full scope of the events and apprehend those responsible.