Jersey City Mourns Grant Avenue Shooting Victims

JERSEY CITY, NJ — Prayer candles still sit at the makeshift memorial on Grant Avenue to honor Raquan Bass, the 26-year-old who was shot and killed Saturday.

Incense continue to burn between the sea of candles that covers part of the sidewalk, and a lighter sits nearby for neighbors to light a candle in Bass' memory as they pass. Letter balloons that usually float, inflated for celebrations, hang empty on the bodega wall where Bass was shot — the gold balloons spell his nickname, Rocky, and mark his last location in the neighborhood.

On Saturday morning, Bass was shot on Grant Avenue. He was rushed to Jersey City Medical Center, where he died. Just days later on Tuesday morning, during a vigil for Bass, 30-year-old Felicia Stewart was shot in the back and killed, in the same location.

"There's too much violence here, it's dangerous," said a woman along Grant Avenue who wished to remain anonymous for her safety.

Bass was an expecting father, according to neighbors on Grant Avenue.

"He was looking forward to being a dad, he was excited to have a son," the woman said. The day Bass was shot was the same day as the baby shower, she added, shaking her head.

Stewart was a mother of four with close ties to her family and church. Her step-mother, Tami Weaver-Henry is a reverend and a member of the police chaplain program. Council President Joyce Watterman knew the family is friends with Rev. Weaver-Henry — she said the church, family and community are stepping in to try to ease the children's grieving.

"You know the saying, 'It takes a village to raise a child,' well it really does," Watterman said, "And that village is the family, the neighbors, the community — they're gonna make sure those children have what they need to get through this."

Watterman has visited Stewart's home and said the family is coping as well as can be expected.

"This is a tragic, tragic loss," Watterman said.

The Jersey City Anti-Violence Coalition echoed frustration over the frequency of violent crimes:

"We are NOT allowed to process our community trauma because violence doesn’t stop. Early this morning a Queen loss her life to senseless gun violence while attending a vigil for Rocky who was killed on Saturday. I don’t know when this ends but I know it’s TOO MUCH for a community to endure! Please keep the families in your hearts, thoughts and prayers. We are all connected as a community and we grieve together!!!!!" the group wrote in a Facebook post.

Jersey City has seen 16 homicides this year alone — the homicides of the seven months of this year have already matching the number of homicides for the whole of 2020. City councilors are stressing that in the immediate aftermath of the shootings, the community and families need support.

"In the short term, we need to offer our support and condolences to the family of the victims — in the long term, we have work to do in the community, to quell this violence," At-Large Councilman Rolando Lavarro said.

The Hudson County Prosecutor's Office arrested two people in connection with Bass' death — Yasir Harrison, 32, and Jala Long, 21. No arrests have been announced in connection with Stewart's death.

Have a news tip or a story that should be told? Email Samantha Mercado at samantha.mercado@patch.com. Keep up with the latest news in Jersey City and subscribe to Jersey City Patch.