Union County Juvenile Officer Kill in 'Targeted' Shooting This Morning

UPDATE 3:32 pm

Two officers with the Union County juvenile detention center were shot early this morning outside a Newark bar, one fatally, the Essex County Prosecutor's Office has announced. 

The two men, both 23, were shot at approximately 1:36 a.m. today near a bar they had visited in the vicinity of Mulberry and Green streets. An ECPO spokesperson declined to identify the bar.

Both men were transported to University Hospital. Quinton Brown, 23, of Hillside was pronounced dead at 3:29 am. The second man, whose identity is being protected, is a resident of Plainfield. He remains in critical condition.
 
The victims were both officers at the Union County juvenile detention center. The victims appear to have been targeted by the shooter or shooters, the ECPO also said.

The shootings occurred within sight of the Prdeuntial Center. Following a concert there last Saturday, May 5, several people were assaulted and robbed at the nearby intersection of Broad and Market streets.

This morning's violence was not tied in any way to events at the center, a Newark police official said in a statement.

“The Essex County Prosecutor’s Office is in the early stages of an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the early morning double shooting that lead to the death of a Hillside resident.  The investigators have been working several leads and have determined that this was an isolated incident where the victim was targeted and that the shooting was not related to any scheduled event at the Prudential Center,” said Newark Police Director Samuel DeMaio. 

“After experiencing 36 days without a murder in the city, it is unfortunate that this shooting occurred in the vicinity of the Prudential Center.  With all the upcoming events scheduled at the Arena the safety and security of all patrons continues to be of the utmost importance in the police department,” he added.
 
No arrests have been made. No suspects have been identified. The investigation is active and ongoing.

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One man is dead and another is in critical condition following a shooting earlier this morning, authorities said.

Two 23-year-old men were shot at around 1:30 a.m. at Mulberry and Green streets near the Prudential Center, according to Katherine Carter, spokesperson for the Essex County Prosecutor's Office.

One man has died, while the other is listed in critical condition, Carter said. There identities have not been released, pending notification of next of kin.

No arrests have been made. It is not clear if the shooting was targeted, said Carter.

– Staff reports