Art All Night shooting

Nearly 1,000 people were at the Art All Night event located at Roebling Wire Works Building, in Trenton, New Jersey on June 17, 2018, when multiple people began to shoot at one another, with one individual killed and 22 injured.[2]

Art All Night shooting
LocationTrenton, New Jersey
Coordinates40°12′35″N 74°45′09″W / 40.20975°N 74.75252°W / 40.20975; -74.75252
DateJune 17, 2018
2:45 am
Attack type
Mass shooting, shootout
WeaponsHandguns[1]
Deaths1 (one of the gunmen)
Injured22 (17 by gunfire, including two gunmen)

Incident

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Two men opened fire around 2:45 am during the 24-hour arts and music festival that showcased local art, music, food and films, which had about 1,000 people in attendance, with about 5,000 to 10,000 people inside and outside the venue, and in the parking lots. Mercer County Prosecutor, told reporters that a 33-year-old suspect was killed and a second suspect was in custody[3] however some sources have referenced a third shooter.

For those who were at the event, many described mistaking the gunfire as fireworks initially, before realizing that many of the other attendees were fleeing the location.[4]

The curator of the event described the chaos that occurred after the shooting stopped when he emerged from his shelter; "About 20 feet on my left there was somebody who was shot in the leg, but on my right, about another 25 feet, was somebody who was shot in the head...Everybody was running...The gallery was full of blood – just trails of blood. Blood splatter all over."[5]

Victims

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Of the injured, 18 were treated at Capital Health System; 15 of which were gunshot wounds, 2 were treated at St. Francis Medical Center, and 1 was transferred to Cooper Health.[5]

Investigation

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The Mercer County Prosecutors Office Homicide Task Force, took lead on the investigation as the incident involved officers who discharged their weapons.[4]

Suspects

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Amir Armstrong (23-years-old) was wounded by the gunfire during the incident, and was moved from a medical facility to the Mercer County jail, and charged with firearms-related offenses. Another wounded suspect named Davone White (26-years-old) was charged with the same offenses.[6]

Tahaij Wells (32-years-old) was shot and killed by police during the incident, while officers exchanged gun fire with him and two other suspects.[7]

In June 2019, Armstrong pleaded guilty to second-degree unlawful possession of a handgun with no carry permit.[8] That same month White also pleaded guilty to unlawful use of a firearm.[9] Armstrong was sentenced to five years in prison the following month. In September, White was sentenced to six years, but will be eligible for parole after three and a half years of his sentence.[10]

References

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  1. ^ Moran, Robert; Wood, Anthony R.; Conde, Ximena; Marin, Max; Mastrull, Diane. "Three dead, at least 11 wounded in mass shooting on South Street, Philadelphia police say". www.inquirer.com.
  2. ^ Shea, Kevin (June 18, 2018). "Art All Night shooting in Trenton: 1 dead, 22 injured after festival turns chaotic". NJ.com. Retrieved November 9, 2018.
  3. ^ "1 dead, 22 injured in shooting at New Jersey's Art All Night festival". CBS NEWS. June 17, 2018. Retrieved November 9, 2018.
  4. ^ a b "22 injured, suspect killed in Trenton arts festival shooting". 6abc Philadelphia. June 17, 2018. Retrieved November 9, 2018.
  5. ^ a b Makin, Cheryl (June 17, 2018). "Art All Night in Trenton ends in mass shooting, leaving 1 dead, 22 injured on Father's Day". USA TODAY. Retrieved November 9, 2018.
  6. ^ Shea, Kevin (August 14, 2018). "Art All Night shooting suspect out of the hospital and in court". NJ.com. Retrieved November 10, 2018.
  7. ^ Nieto-Munoz, Sophie (June 18, 2018). "Trenton shooting: Suspected gunman killed at Art All Night was gang member with violent past". NJ.com. Retrieved November 10, 2018.
  8. ^ Sulaiman Abdur-Rahman (June 7, 2019). "Trenton Art All Night gunman pleads guilty year after mass shooting". The Trentonian. Retrieved April 13, 2020.
  9. ^ Kevin Shea (June 21, 2019). "2nd man admits having gun during Art All Night shooting in Trenton last year". NJ.com. Retrieved April 13, 2020.
  10. ^ Kevin Shea (September 6, 2019). "Man found with gun in shooting at Trenton arts festival that left dozens wounded gets 6 years in prison". NJ.com. Retrieved April 13, 2020.