South Orange residents heard a loud bang at their front door Wednesday afternoon, October 21, 2026, and found a bullet on the porch. Police responded at approximately 4:40 p.m. to a reported firearm discharge near Holland Road and Kenmore Avenue, finding a front door damaged in a manner consistent with a bullet strike, though the bullet did not go all the way through.
Bullet Found on Porch, No Injuries Reported
According to The Village Green, residents reported hearing the loud bang at their front door and then discovered a bullet on their front porch. No injuries were reported in the incident. Officers and detectives spoke with the residents who reported the noise, while other officers canvassed the surrounding area for witnesses and additional evidence.
That canvass led them across the municipal line. South Orange police officers located a shell casing in the street on Kenmore Avenue in Newark, roughly 100 yards from the South Orange residence where the bullet had been found, the outlet's report notes. A witness also reported observing a vehicle leaving the immediate area, traveling south on Holland Road toward South Orange Avenue.
Newark Police Take Over the Scene
Because the shell casing turned up on the Newark side of the border, the Newark Police Department and the Essex County Prosecutor's Office were notified, and the scene was subsequently turned over to Newark's jurisdiction. Newark responded with officers, investigators, and crime scene personnel, per the same account. Authorities said they do not believe there is a credible, ongoing threat to the public based on the information available at the time.
The Holland Road and Kenmore Avenue corridor has seen gunfire before. Newark police responded at 1:25 a.m. on December 5, 2024, to a report of a shooting at the same Kenmore Avenue location near Holland Road and found a man who had been shot, according to dailyvoice.com. That victim was transported to a nearby hospital and was reportedly in stable condition, with Public Safety Director Emanuel Miranda saying at the time that the shooting remained under investigation.
Investigation Remains Active
As this remains an active investigation, the South Orange Police Department said it will continue coordinating with local and county law enforcement partners. The department asked anyone with information to contact its Detective Bureau at (973) 763-3000, extension 7794. No details on the type of firearm used, a motive, or any arrests have been released.
