Newark Boy Was Shot With 'Ghost Gun,' Authorities Say

NEWARK, NJ — Authorities said a 13-year-old boy in Newark was shot with a "ghost gun" earlier this week. The wounded youth is still in critical condition, public safety officials said Wednesday.

According to the Newark Department of Public Safety, police responded to the 100-block of Boyd Street at 5:22 p.m. on May 21 after getting calls about a shooting. The officers found the victim suffering from a gunshot wound. He was transported to University Hospital, and remains in critical condition.

Newark authorities released an update on the investigation Wednesday:

“On Tuesday, May 23, members of the Newark Police Shooting Response Team safely apprehended an individual found in possession of a .9mm ghost gun with an extended magazine. Newark police ballistics investigators have determined that this weapon was used in the shooting of the 13-year-old on May 21.”

Law enforcement sources say that ghost guns – homemade or 3D printed firearms – can be “untraceable,” making them especially dangerous.

Mayor Ras Baraka mentioned the shooting in his weekly video address to the city, adding that he and other community leaders will be hitting the streets again this week – as they’ve done in the recent past – to put on a show of solidarity for peace.

“Put your feet where your internet fingers are,” the mayor challenged.

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Baraka and Public Safety Director Fritz Fragé plan to hold a news conference on Thursday to discuss the shooting – and an upcoming “crime reduction initiative” this summer. According to a statement from the mayor’s office:

“Director Fragé will also outline the Department of Public Safety’s Summer Initiative, which will include community roll calls to be held citywide. These events will allow Newark residents to observe police receiving their foot patrol or riding orders from supervisors in public. The Summer Initiative will also outline violence reduction strategies, including increased police presence in hot spots; the deployment of the Newark Police Community Focus Team; Newark Police working with local, county, state, and federal law enforcement partners and with code enforcement; increased youth outreach activities; and community engagement by the Newark Fire Division through fire house tours and serving as neighborhood first aid stations.”

Office of Violence Prevention and Trauma Recovery Director Lakeesha Eure will also be present at the news conference.

The May 23 shooting took place amid a recent wave of deadly violence in the city.

• See Related: Triple Shooting In Newark; Victims Also From Irvington, East Orange
• See Related: Newark Sees 3 Fatal Shootings In 1 Week: Here's Where They Happened

However, violent crime has dropped overall during the past few years, Newark public officials say. Much of the drop has been credited to the city’s new approach to policing, which treats violence as a “public health” issue.

• See Related: Obama Praises Newark's Efforts To Stop Violence By Boosting Its Youth

Community groups such as the Newark Community Street Team have been tapped to help end the violence before it begins by addressing its root causes.

The group recently held a public safety roundtable, which detailed some of these efforts (watch the video below).

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