The Kearny Police Department has arrested a man they say was wanted for a shooting in Irvington, Det. Sgt. Mike Gontarczuk, the department’s public-information officer, said.
According to Gontarczuk:
On Jan. 14, 2026, Kearny Police Department units were alerted to a BMW entering the Town of Kearny, that had been flagged as a felony vehicle in NCIC for its involvement in a shooting in Irvington. Lt. Jay Ward, Dets. Anthony Nunez and Christpher Montes and Officers Jose Castillo and John Fearon found the vehicle parked near Passaic Avenue and established surveillance.
Around then, they received digital photos of Travis W. Brown, 33, of Irvington, for whom an Irvington arrest warrant was active, in connection with the shooting.
Officers then intercepted three people near the vehicle, including Brown.
During the arrest, Officer Fearon recovered a loaded 9mm handgun from Brown’s jacket pocket. Further investigation revealed the firearm had been reported stolen. Det. Montes also recovered a knife from a second individual, identified as Daijon L. Williams, who was found to have an outstanding municipal warrant. The third person was released from the scene without charges.
Brown was charged with unlawful possession of a handgun, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, receiving stolen property and possession of a weapon by a prohibited person.
Williams, 26, of Newark, was charged with possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose and processed for his outstanding warrant.
The Kearny Police Department extends its thanks to the Irvington Police Department, whose detectives responded to the scene to assist with the investigation. Both Brown and Williams were processed at Kearny Police Headquarters and subsequently transported to the Hudson County Correctional Facility.
“I am proud of the diligent work and coordination displayed by our officers and detectives in safely resolving this high-risk situation,” Chief Scott Macfie said. “Their efforts have removed another illegal firearm from the streets and demonstrate our department’s commitment to intercepting dangerous criminals and preventing violence in Kearny.”
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Kevin A. Canessa Jr. is the editor of and broadcaster at The Observer, an organization he has served 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 social media channels such as YouTube, Facebook, and X, 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 Kearny to return to The Observer full time. Click Here to send Kevin an email.