By: Richard L. Smith
A heartbreaking act of violence has shaken the Newark community, as 9-year-old Yasin Morrison lost his life in a fatal shooting, an incident that also left an adult man wounded.
Mr. Jesse J. Dunbar II, 36, has been arrested and charged in connection with the deadly attack, according to a statement released by the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office.
Shortly before 5 p.m., Newark’s ShotSpotter system detected nearly a dozen rounds of gunfire near the intersection of Osborne Terrace and Yates Avenue.
Police officers rushed to the scene, where they discovered an adult male suffering from gunshot wounds—and Yasin, lifeless, struck twice in the torso by stray bullets.
Despite their immediate response, officers were unable to save him. Yasin was rushed to University Hospital, but doctors pronounced him dead upon arrival.
A Routine Visit Turns to Tragedy
The evening began like any other for Yasin. The fourth-grader, nonverbal and autistic, thrived on structure and routine.
His father, Savon Morrison, had picked him up from Louise A. Spencer Elementary School in a Lyft, as he often did, to visit his grandmother’s house in the Osborne Terrace neighborhood.
A Routine Visit Turns to Tragedy
The evening began like any other for Yasin. The fourth-grader, nonverbal and autistic, thrived on structure and routine.
His father, Savon Morrison, had picked him up from Louise A. Spencer Elementary School in a Lyft, as he often did, to visit his grandmother’s house in the Osborne Terrace neighborhood.
Dunbar faces multiple charges, including first-degree murder, first-degree attempted murder, second-degree aggravated assault, second-degree unlawful possession of a weapon, and second-degree possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose.
Authorities confirmed that in addition to the young boy, an adult male was also shot during the incident.
Inside the vehicle with them was Yasin’s 3-year-old sister, excited for an evening with family. But as the Lyft pulled up to their destination, gunfire erupted.
Yasin’s father had already stepped out of the car with the toddler when the shots rang out. He instinctively tried to push his son back into the car for safety, but it was too late.
“I tried to push Yasin back into the vehicle when I heard the gunfire, but when I looked, I noticed bullets had struck him,” Sayvon Morrison told RLS Media. “It was heartbreaking that I couldn’t save my son.”
“The killing of any person is a tragic occurrence, but it is particularly heinous when an innocent 9-year-old child loses their life to all-too-common senseless violence,” said Essex County Prosecutor Theodore N. Stephens II.
The details surrounding the shooting remain under investigation, as law enforcement works to piece together the events that led to this devastating loss.
The community, shaken by the tragedy, is mourning the young life that was taken far too soon. 
Authorities emphasized that these charges are allegations, and Dunbar is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
However, the impact of this senseless act will weigh heavily on the hearts of many as the case unfolds.