A man was shot and killed Thursday afternoon in the 200 block of Littleton Avenue in Newark, in an area sandwiched between a technical school and a church. The shooting happened around 2:45 p.m., and the victim, who has not been identified, was rushed to University Hospital, where he was pronounced dead just after 3 p.m.
According to ABC7 New York, Newark police are investigating the shooting, and officials described it as an active and open case. The outlet reported that more than a dozen bullet casings were spotted outside Best Food Market, where officers were seen gathering evidence inside the store as the investigation unfolded.
As of Thursday, no suspects were in custody, per the same report. Investigators have not released information about a motive, a suspect description, or how the shooting may relate to the market, the school, or the church that sit near the scene.
Tip Line Open as Investigation Continues
Anyone with information about the shooting is being asked to come forward. Tips can be shared confidentially with the Essex County Prosecutor's Office at 1-877-TIPS-4EC, or 1-877-847-7432, the report notes.
The Littleton Avenue shooting is the latest in a string of gun violence cases that have rattled Newark neighborhoods in recent months. In November 2025, five people were shot on Chancellor Avenue, killing a 10-year-old boy and a second victim, according to fox5ny.com. Three other victims in that shooting, ages 11, 19 and 60, survived with injuries described as stable, and the station reported that the Essex County Prosecutor's Office had not identified any of the victims at the time.
Pattern of Public-Area Shootings in the City
Newark has also seen fatal shootings unfold in other public commercial spaces. In a separate case, police investigated a fatal shooting in the parking lot of a strip mall on the 300 block of West Market Street, where one man was killed, according to a prior ABC7 New York report. Witnesses in that incident told police they heard multiple gunshots coming from inside a nearby urgent care center, though no one inside the clinic was hurt.
No connection has been established between Thursday's shooting on Littleton Avenue and either of those earlier cases. Police have not said whether the victim was a random target or was specifically sought out, and that detail remains unknown as the investigation continues.
