Parishioners at the Congregational Baptist Church attending Wednesday night bible study class refocused their session from studying to praying after they heard the repeated firing of guns at a housing complex across the street from their house of worship in Newark.
Children playing outside the complex ran for cover after several males drove up to the area, exited the car then began to fire multiple rounds at alleged drug dealers who consistently linger around the complex located in the 300 block of Bergen Street near The Cleveland Street School at around 6:30 p.m. according to some residents in the area.
Bullets smashed through the windows of apartments at the complex where at least one resident arrived home to find holes in her wall where bullets penetrated the home.
Newark Police officers arrived at the scene and immediately secured the area, while they taped off the entrances to the complex to conduct the investigation and search for injured victims. There were no after-school sessions reported at the Cleveland Street School.
Police began a search for a white Dodge Charger -reportedly stolen out of Elizabeth- that was observed speeding away from the scene immediately after the shooting.
Officers canvassing the 200 block of Broome Street found the unoccupied stolen vehicle at around 9 p.m.
There were no injuries reported, but residents at the complex said that dozens of children play daily at the complex or inside the nearby playground and were thankful that bullets struck no one.
Newark Police officials have not released a motive for the shooting at this time.