Two men were killed and four people were injured after two people opened fire on a car in Jersey City, Mayor Steven Fulop said this morning.
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
“Last night was a tough one for our city and heartbreaking. Normally, when a shooting occurs I do my best to visit the family in private and I don’t post about the specific issue as I know the circumstances are often complicated, investigations are ongoing, and families are grieving,” Fulop began in a lengthy Facebook post.
“Yesterday’s shooting is different in the number of people involved in this incident and it not being something that happens often. The shooting occurred in the area of Brinkerhoff/Crescent when 6 people were sitting in a car and two shooters walked up to that specific car and began firing. As of this morning, tragically, two of those victims have passed away and 4 are injured.”
At around 12:30 a.m. this morning, the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office tweeted that they, along with the Jersey City Police Department, are investigating a shooting Friday night that caused two fatalities and “multiple victims.”
According to police radio transmissions, the shootings occurred around 10:50 p.m. and the HCPO arrived on the scene about 10 minutes later.
A gray SUV was spotted fleeing the scene the wrong way down a one-way street and authorities are looking for at least two suspects, the radio transmissions said.
“The last two months have been challenging for us and I don’t want to not acknowledge it as we are in a fragile place with regards to an increase in gun violence,” Fulop continued.
“As a city, we are committing more and more resources to get ahead of it but acknowledging the issue is important and not pretending like it doesn’t exist. We won’t let the progress we have made slip backwards.”
Lincoln High School Principal Chris Gadsden, also a Jersey City council-at-large candidate, identified the victims as two former students: Randy Black and Jason Crutcher.
“This hurts because it’s draining when you see people so close to you die early. I helped both of you graduate from P.S. #12 and saw you through high school. You are not just Ran Stlyes and Hood, you are Randy and Jason. Randy you were a talented young man who was too cool to be true,” he wrote in his own Facebook post.
“Jason you had jokes and you had a good soul. You two grew up together and we’ve watched you in your good and bad times. One thing never be forgotten was that you two were always trying to do better, trying do something positive with your lives.”
At 11:10 a.m., Hudson County Prosecutor Esther Suarez released new information.
Responding officers to the area found an unresponsive male in a vehicle in the area of Crescent Avenue and Brinkerhoff Street with a gunshot wound to the torso.
The man, later identified as Randolph Black Jr., 25, was transported by Emergency Medical Services to Jersey City Medical Center where he was pronounced dead at approximately 11:15 p.m.
Officers also found a second unresponsive male at the corner of Crescent Avenue and
Brinkerhoff Street with multiple gunshot wounds to his torso and extremities.
The man, later identified as Jason Crutcher, 26, was treated at the scene before being transported by EMS to JCMC. He was pronounced dead at approximately 11:50 p.m.
A third man, 26, was found in the area of 55 Crescent Avenue with multiple gunshot
wounds to his upper torso. A fourth victim, 25, was found with multiple gunshot wounds to his lower torso and a lower extremity. They were both treated at the scene before being
transported by EMS to JCMC for treatment.
Additionally, a fifth man, 35, suffered a gunshot wound to an upper extremity and he was transported privately to JCMC where he was treated for his injuries, and finally, a female victim, 20, was found inside a business located at 110 Monticello Ave. where she was being treated for multiple gunshot wounds.
She was transported by EMS to JCMC where she was treated for her injuries. All of the injured victims are in stable condition.
The Prosecutor’s Office Homicide Unit is actively investigating this case with assistance from the Jersey City Police Department and no arrests have been made at this time.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office at 201-915-1345 or to leave an anonymous tip on their official website at:http://www.hudsoncountyprosecutorsofficenj.org/homicide-tip/.
Editor’s note: This story has been updated with new information.
What are doing about the daily killings in Jersey City. Every day someone is murdered. I have been in this city for sixty four years and it has not been this bad since the sixties.
This is crazy someone getting killed everyday. The cops are posted up on all the wrong corners, everyone knows where there are so don’t go there and do anything. With this pandemic they don’t want to touch anyone or even do their job. Instead of sitting on the corner talking on there cell phone or kicking it with the girls they should be riding around stopping some of this violence.1Love
Black Lives Matter
Jason Crutcher tried to shoot and kill someone back in 2015. Live by the gun- DIE by the gun. No one was surprised by this.