An 18-year-old Newark man died Monday night after being shot multiple times on the 700-block of Broad Street near West Market Street, near a major intersection and commercial hub. Naim Brewer was rushed to University Hospital, where he was pronounced dead just over an hour after police arrived on scene.
According to NJ.com, Brewer was shot around 8:10 p.m. Monday, and Essex County Prosecutor Theodore N. Stephens II and Newark Public Safety Director Emanuel Miranda identified him as the victim in a joint statement. As reported by Patch, police responded to the scene at 8:12 p.m., and Brewer was pronounced dead at University Hospital at 9:14 p.m.
As of Tuesday, a police investigation into the shooting continues, the outlet notes, and no additional details about the circumstances of the attack have been released. Authorities have asked anyone with information to contact the Essex County Prosecutor's Office Tips Line at 1-877-TIPS-4EC or 1-877-847-7432.
A Grim Statistic Amid an Otherwise Historic Decline
Brewer's death comes even as Newark has posted one of the steepest homicide drops in the country this year. The same outlet's report notes that Newark recorded the largest decline in homicides among comparable cities, falling 64.7 percent in the first half of 2026 compared to the same period in 2025 — from 17 homicides down to six.
City officials have pointed to what they call a comprehensive public safety ecosystem combining policing, intervention programs, community partnerships, youth opportunities and neighborhood investment as the driver behind the improved numbers, the report states.
Other Recent Homicides Still Under Investigation
Despite the overall downward trend, Newark has continued to see fatal shootings this year. The Essex County Prosecutor's Office said the city recorded 13 homicides between June 1 and Sept. 30, with suspects identified or arrested in 12 of those cases, the same report notes.
Among them: Darryl Craft was shot and killed near 139 Chadwick Avenue on Sept. 2, with Zyion A. Williams-Jones later arrested in connection with the killing, per the prosecutor's office. In another case, David Boardingham was assaulted on the 800-block of Broad Street on July 28 and died from his injuries on Aug. 15, the outlet reports. All homicides and suspicious deaths in Essex County are investigated by the prosecutor's homicide task force alongside partner law enforcement agencies, according to the same source.
No suspect information has been released in Brewer's case, and the investigation remains active. Anyone with information is urged to reach out to investigators through the tip line listed above.
