Newark Man Turns Himself in to Face Murder Charge

A 22-year-old Newark man turned himself in to police Saturday after authorities issued a warrant for , according to officials with the Essex County Prosecutor's Office. The arrest comes rougly 48 hours after the shooting-related incident.

Katherine Carter, a spokeswoman with the prosecutor's office, said Phillip Sessoms will be charged with murder, aggravated assault and weapons offenses.

Authorities say Sessoms was the gunman who shot Kendel Davis, 23, and another 23-year-old in a car on 4th Avenue and N. 12th Street Thursday afternoon. Injured, Davis apparently then drove himself and his passenger to Columbus Hospital, almost a mile away, in an attempt to seek help. Davis, though, died outside the hospital in the car. Carter said the passeger was transported to University Hospital in Newark. His name was not released.

Columbus Hospital is not a trauma center, but an urgent care center for residents.

Patch reporters on the scene Thursday, outside Columbus Hospital, said Davis sat upright in the driver's seat of a white sedan parked outside an entrance to the urgent care center on N. 12th Street and Abington Avenue. He appeared to be dressed in dark-colored, striped pants and a light-colored shirt.

"I attribute (Sessoms') surrender to the fact that he knew there was no way out and that we would have eventually caught him based on facts gathered through our investigation," said Newark Police Director Samuel DeMaio in a statement. DeMaio said "the community" helped identify Sessoms.

Carter said Sessoms is in Essex County jail in lieu of $750,000 bail.

Davis' death came less than 24 hours after Lamar Scott, 26, of Irvington, was shot at 8:45 p.m. on Hawkins Street in Newark's Ironbound section. He was pronounced dead at University Hospital at 11 p.m. that night. No suspects have been arrested in that murder.

— Joshua Wilwohl and Lia Eustachewich