By: Richard L. Smith
Authorities are actively searching for suspects involved in a violent quadruple shooting that took place late Monday evening in Newark's South Ward.
The incident happened just before 11 p.m. near the intersection of Clinton Avenue and Chadwick in the Clinton Hill section.
Police officers from a nearby headquarters responded swiftly to the scene and discovered three victims suffering from gunshot wounds after a gunman opened fire.
The area was quickly secured as officers searched for additional victims and evidence. The injured were transported to University Hospital for advanced medical care.
During the investigation, officials at University Hospital alerted Newark Shooting Response Team detectives that a fourth victim had entered the emergency room with bullet wounds.
Authorities believe the suspect fled the scene in a vehicle, which was later found torched near 45 Stecher Street. Newark firefighters extinguished the blaze, but the car was unoccupied when police inspected it.
The Essex County Prosecutor's Office has been notified and is assisting with the ongoing investigation.
Detectives from the prosecutor's office are also trying to determine if this shooting is connected to another violent encounter that occurred less than 24 hours earlier.
In that incident, a 33-year-old man was fatally shot on the 100 block of Chadwick Avenue early Monday morning. Officers responding to reports of shots fired found the victim suffering from multiple gunshot wounds.
The Essex County Prosecutor's Office confirmed that the victim was pronounced dead at 12:54 a.m.
As of now, no arrests have been confirmed in either case. Authorities are urging anyone with information related to these incidents to come forward as the search for the suspects continues.
