Crime in NJ drops during the pandemic, but murders involving guns increase nine percent

When it comes to gun violence, this past weekend was a tragic one for the state, New Jersey State Police Colonel Patrick Callahan said on Monday. Fifteen people in New Jersey were shot within a 48-hour period Saturday and Sunday, and two of the victims died, he said.

“It was a very violent weekend in the state,” Callahan said. “We are monitoring the trends. There is no nexus to the pandemic, but certainly it was a tragic weekend in New Jersey.”

Crime has been down across the state since the coronavirus outbreak. Callahan said at a press briefing Saturday that overall, arrests have dropped 65 percent, and shootings have dropped 19 percent. The statistics mirror what is happening in other states across the country as many people stay home and fewer businesses are open.

Domestic violence calls are also down, but Callahan said Saturday he worries that the decrease in domestic violence reports stems from an under-reporting of incidents.

Every crime category is down except murders in which someone was shot. Callahan said shooting murders have increased nine percent.

Asked to explain whether there is a reason for shootings declining but fatal shootings increasing, Callahan said, “If the amount of shootings are down and the victims are up, it just points to where they’re being struck.”

According to the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office, there have been eight murders in the capital city since March 1. All were shootings.

On March 23, a man in his 30s was fatally shot in the courtyard of an apartment building near the 100 block of Oakland Street in Trenton’s West Ward just before 6:30 p.m. Officers arrived to find a wounded and unconscious man. He was still breathing and was taken to Capital Health Regional Medical Center, where he died later that night.

Two days later, another man was shot and killed on the first block of Hudson Street in the mid-afternoon. He was later identified as Yuell Moore, 29, of Trenton.

On April 5, three people were murdered in one day in the capital city.

One shooting took place shortly after 5 p.m. at the Martin Luther King Park. A
large group of people were gathered at a basketball court when several suspects approached from Bond Street and fired into the group through an empty lot. As many as 40 shots were reportedly fired. A male victim was struck in the torso and transported to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead. A second male victim was also struck in the torso and was hospitalized.

While detectives were investigating the park incident, another shooting occurred on the 100 block of Hoffman Avenue at about 7 p.m. A large group of people were watching a street fight between two women. The incident was captured on video and shared on the internet. From the video, it appeared that a woman who was standing on the sidewalk watching the fight stepped off the curb to join in the fight when a man approached her from the street and shot her in the head. She was transported to the hospital and later died. The victim was later identified as 24-year-old Quamierah Massey. The alleged shooter, who could be seen in the video, was Quasim Hallett, 39, of Trenton. He was located in Delaware by the U.S. Marshals Regional Fugitive Task Force about a week after the shooting and was charged with murder.

Around 9 p.m. that same night, another shooting occurred on the 400 block of Garfield Avenue. Several people were hanging out in the area when a vehicle drove down the street and fired numerous rounds. One victim was struck in the hand, a second victim was struck in the leg, and a third victim was struck in the head. All three were transported to the hospital for treatment. While officers were securing the scene and locating evidence, they discovered a fourth victim in the backyard of one of the houses on Garfield Avenue. The male victim was pronounced dead at the scene.

This past Saturday around 11:40 p.m., Trenton police units were dispatched to the first block of Power Street for a reported shooting with multiple people struck. Police located three shooting victims in front of a home on Daymond Street. A 38-year-old Trenton man, later identified as Robert Smith, was struck in the head. He was transported to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead a short time later. A 19-year-old Hamilton man was struck in the buttocks, and a 44-year-old Trenton man was struck in the back. An investigation revealed that there was a large gathering of about 30 to 40 people in front of the Daymond Street home. The shooter or shooters then approached the area and began shooting. More than a dozen shell casings were located. Two vehicles were also struck. No arrests have been made yet and the investigation is ongoing. According to the Trentonian, the shootings appear to be gang-related. At least one person who was shot is an ex-Bloods gang leader. Two more people were wounded in shootings later in the weekend. It is unclear whether the shootings are related.

In Monday morning, two more people were murdered in Trenton. An 18-year-old was shot on the first block of Oakland Avenue just after 12:30 a.m. Upon arrival, officers found Tayvion Jones in the kitchen of his home with a gunshot wound to the chest. He was transported to the hospital and pronounced dead a short time later. Police were able to quickly identify a suspect in the shooting, and he was stopped and taken into custody nearby.  His name is not being released until charges have been filed.

Just before 9 a.m. on Monday, Antwuan Bowens, 44, of Trenton was shot on Daymond Street. Upon arrival, police discovered the victim, who suffering multiple gunshot wounds. He was transported to the hospital and was pronounced dead a short time later.