“We are sick and tired of it”- South 14th Street Residents
By: Richard L. Smith
In the Fairmont section of Newark's West Ward, a series of shooting incidents, rampant drug dealing, and persistent loitering over the years have left a neighborhood feeling trapped and desolate within their own homes, residents told RLS Media over the weekend. 
The most recent event, a tragic shooting on Thursday, March 7, shortly before 7 p.m., has highlighted the gravity of the violence that has become all too familiar to the residents living on 14th Street between 14th Avenue and 15th Avenue.
According to Chief Thomas Fennelly of the Essex County Prosecutor's Office, gunfire erupted in the 400 block of South 14 Street, claiming the life of 22-year-old Mr. Cyrano Green, who was found with a gunshot wound and later pronounced dead at University Hospital at 7:26 p.m.
Chief Fennelly would not elaborate on the motive behind the shooting but did state that the investigation is active and ongoing.
A member of Green’s family took to social media and blasted the individuals who posted the immediate aftermath of the shooting and the last moments of his life on Instagram.
Residents told RLS Media that part of an ongoing battle against violence in the area is currently under investigation by the Prosecutor's Homicide Task Force in collaboration with the Newark Police Task Force.
People living in the community, who say they have long endured the terror of such violence, believe the incident to be the result of conflicts among drug dealers who have dominated the streets.
Speaking to RLS Media, they described a relentless six months of frequent shootings that have endangered lives and property.
"This has gone on for years, and the police won't do anything about it," a beleaguered resident expressed.
The community, merely a block from West Side High School and in proximity to landmarks that I remember as the former St. Rocco’s School, now KIPP Rise Academy, has witnessed its fair share of lockdowns due to gunfire during school hours.
The daily scenes of drug deals conducted openly and the aftermath of drug use have become a norm for the people of South 14th Street residents reported.
From finding drug paraphernalia and blood in alleys to encountering public acts of indecency, residents said they face constant reminders of their community's plight.
In a particularly distressing revelation during the fatal shooting investigation of Mr. Green, police found an unconscious man, suspected to be another shooting victim, who turned out to be suffering from the 'illness' of a narcotics overdose.
Responders used Narcan to revive the unidentified man.
The community's cries for help seem to go unheard, with many feeling abandoned by the very systems meant to protect them.
"This is an everyday thing where the drug buyers are making a nuisance of themselves. It is a drug war, that is the real reason behind the shooting. I have made many reports, to no avail," shared a resident, echoing a sentiment of frustration and despair.
Despite the overwhelming sense of hopelessness, Cyrano Green's family and the community at large still yearn for justice and change.
As detectives continue their search for the individual responsible for Green's fatal shooting, the Essex County Prosecutor's Office urges witnesses or anyone with information to contact them at 877-847-7432.
All calls will be taken anonymously.
