A Newark Imam was shot this morning and is in critical condition in a Newark Hospital, Essex County Prosecutor Theodore N. Stephens II and Newark Public Safety Director Fritz Fragé said.
The Essex County Prosecutor’s Office Homicide/Major Crimes Task Force and the Newark Police Department are jointly investigating the shooting of the Imam in Newark that took place in the 6 a.m. hour this morning, the ECPO said.
“Our prayers are with him,” Stephens said. “The ECPO is working with the Newark Police Department and other agencies to identify the person or persons responsible for this violent act. At a time when bias crimes against members of the Muslim community are on the rise, we know this act of gun violence may heighten concerns.”
Stephens said his office has been in touch with the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office and federal partners and said all law enforcement resources will be available for this investigation. While the investigation is active and ongoing, there is no information at this time suggesting the crime was motivated by bias.
“Every lead will be investigated to bring the perpetrator to justice,” Stephens said.
Anyone with information relevant to this shooting is urged to contact the Newark Police Department through its 24-hour tip hot line at (877) 695-8477.
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Kevin A. Canessa Jr. is the editor of and broadcaster at The Observer, a place where he has served on and off since 2006. He is responsible for the editorial content of the newspaper and website, the production of the e-Newspaper, writing several stories per week (including the weekly editorial), conducting live broadcasts on Facebook Live, including a weekly recap of the news — and much more behind the scenes. Between 2006 and 2008, he introduced the newspaper to its first-ever blog — which included podcasts, audio and video. Originally from Jersey City, Kevin lived in Kearny until 2004, lived in Port St. Lucie. Florida, for four years until February 2016 and in March of that year, he moved back to West Hudson to return to The Observer full time. Click Here to send Kevin an email.