Gunfire tore through two communities in Trenton, New Jersey, and Chicago less than 15 minutes apart overnight, leaving three people dead and 23 others wounded in two mass shootings as police in both cities search for answers.
Trenton police responded to a neighborhood near 194 Locust Street at about 12:25 a.m. local time Sunday after multiple shots were reported, Trenton Mayor W. Reed Gusciora said in a statement.
First responders found 11 people who had been shot.
GUNFIRE SHATTERS TORONTO LATIN STREET FESTIVAL, LEAVING AT LEAST 2 DEAD AND MULTIPLE WOUNDED
Two were pronounced dead, while nine others were taken to Capital Health Regional Medical Center. Police have not released their conditions.
The names of those killed have not been confirmed.
Gusciora said officials were still learning about the victims but shared details about one of the people killed, a man who had been trying to turn his life around after leaving prison.
“We understand that one of the individuals who lost his life had been working to turn his life around after returning home from incarceration and had recently been recognized for his commitment to reentry and positive change,” Gusciora said.
New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill said she had been briefed on the shooting.
“As local law enforcement continues to investigate, my Attorney General remains in close contact with officials on the ground,” Sherrill wrote in a post on X Sunday. “I’m thinking of the families who lost loved ones, those who were injured, and the Trenton community.”
No arrests have been announced, and police have not said what may have led to the Trenton shooting.
CHICAGO OFFICERS WOUNDED IN TRAFFIC STOP SHOOTOUT AS HOLIDAY WEEKEND LEAVES 3 DEAD, 16 INJURED
Officials said 12 minutes earlier and hundreds of miles away, police in Chicago were called to another mass shooting.
Chicago police said officers were breaking up a large gathering on Chicago’s South Side at about 11:37 p.m. local time Saturday night when gunmen opened fire into a crowd, hitting 15 people.
A 35-year-old man was shot multiple times and taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center, where he died.
Police said 14 other people — six men and seven women ranging in age from 21 to 47 — were wounded.
Several were listed in good condition, including a 26-year-old woman who was shot multiple times in the chest. The conditions of some of the other victims were not immediately known.
With 15 victims, the incident marks the largest single shooting in Chicago this year, surpassing a June drive-by shooting that left 14 people wounded in a South Side neighborhood, according to a report from affiliate FOX 32 Chicago.
Police have not said what Saturday’s gathering was for or what may have led to the shooting. Investigators also have not released a description of the gunmen.
Cook County Crime Stoppers is offering a reward of up to $10,000 for information leading to an arrest.
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson on Sunday condemned the shooting, vowing to address the flow of guns into the community.
“Through last night’s shootings, we are reminded of the devastating impact of gun violence. In a matter of moments, a life can be taken, families can be forever changed, and communities can be left grieving,” Johnson said in a post on X.
“We remain steadfast in our work to break these cycles of trauma by continuing to stop the flow of guns into our communities and investing in the resources that help prevent violence before it occurs,” he added. “My administration will continue to show up for those impacted by these violent acts by providing access to victim services and mental health support.”