EAST ORANGE — A 16-year-old basketball player died after being shot multiple times Monday afternoon near three schools.
Acting Essex County Prosecutor Theodore N. Stephens II said the boy was shot on Lincoln Avenue around 3:15 p.m. and taken to University Hospital in Newark. He was pronounced dead at 3:45 p.m.
No arrests have been made. Officials said investigators are looking for a group walking in front of a vehicle around the time of the shooting but did not disclose how many shots were fired.
Officials identified the victim as Letrell Duncan, a sophomore at East Orange Campus High School.
“One of our most celebrated and loved players to help build this program. He was an excellent teammate, a great friend, and a coach’s ideal player,” the youth basketball league Garden State Bounce wrote on their Instagram page. “We will miss you Trell, our floor general, team captain, and the best point guard our program has seen. You’ve set the bar. We are heart broken and in shock that this has happened to you, but nevertheless we know that you are comforted by God.”
Classes had just been dismissed for the day when the shots were fired. Video aired by CBS New York shows kids standing around on the sidewalk and then running after shots were fired.
CBS New York cited police sources saying that the boy was shot four times in the head.
Superintendent AbdulSaleem Hasan, in a letter to parents, said counselors would be available for students and adults in the district Tuesday.
“There has been a growing concern about the spread of violence, not only in our community, but also across the nation. Violence creates trauma for the people directly involved as well as for those in surrounding neighborhoods and communities,” Hasan wrote in the letter.
Stephens asked anyone with information about the shooting to contact the Prosecutor’s Office tips line at 1-877-TIPS-4EC (1-877-847-7432).
Dan Alexander is a reporter for New Jersey 101.5. You can reach him at [email protected]
Click here to contact an editor about feedback or a correction for this story.
10 years later — Sandy makes landfall in New Jersey
These NJ towns have the highest rates of sexually transmitted diseases
Looking at data compiled by the Department of Health in 2019, the most recent year for which reports are available, we determined the rate of STDs for 1,000 people in every municipality. The data combines reports of chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis. For a different look, you can check out this article for a list of New Jersey towns that saw the highest increase in STD/STI cases in recent years.
Spirit Halloween is back: Here’s where to find them in NJ
A list of towns throughout New Jersey where you can find Spirit Halloween stores for 2022. Towns are listed in alphabetical order. Click or tap on the town names for more details.
Discovered on: 2022-10-04 15:03:35
Source: Teen shot dead in broad daylight near East Orange, NJ schools
