NEWARK, New Jersey In a city where the murder rate has risen 50 percent since 1998, three promising College students were murdered execution style in a playground on Saturday.
Their names: Dashon Harvey, 20, Terrance Aeriel, 18, Iofemi Hightower, 20. There was also a fourth victim who police say survived the gunshot wound to the head. Natasha Aeriel, 19 (Terrance’s older sister) is said to be in fair condition at the hospital.
An apparent robbery attempt by several assailants made the four the latest victims in this city where the murder rate has risen 50 percent since 1998.Police said three were forced to kneel against a wall and shot at close range; a fourth was wounded.
The killings bring Newark's murder total for the year to 60, and put pressure on Mayor Cory A. Booker, who campaigned last year on a promise of reducing crime.
Mayor Corey Booker
"He doesn't deserve another day, another second, while our children are at stake," Donna Jackson, president of the community-based Take Back Our Streets organization, said Monday at a news conference in front of City Hall.
"Anyone who has children in the city is in panic mode. It takes something like this for people to open up their eyes and understand that not every person killed in Newark is a drug dealer.At a news conference, Booker said it was a time for unity and "not a time to play politics and divide our city."
Killed were Terrance Aeriel, 18, Iofemi Hightower, 20, and Dashon Harvey, 20. Aeriel's 19-year-old sister, Natasha, was listed in fair condition at Newark's University Hospital after being shot in the head. She was found about 30 feet from her friends, slumped near some bleachers.
Authorities were assembling details of the crime from witnesses including Natasha Aeriel, but had not made any arrests by late Monday night.
We at VP keeps the families of the victims on our prayers!
Peace and Blessings,
Eddie Nicole
