One killed, two wounded in New Jersey shooting spree
IRVINGTON, N.J.—Irvington authorities were investigating Sunday whether a single gunman was responsible for a string of shootings that killed one man and wounded two others, including a police sergeant.
The shootings occurred within minutes and within the same general area around 3 a.m. Sunday, Essex County Prosecutor's Office spokesman Paul Loriquet said.
In at least two cases, there were reports of a gunman fleeing in a light-colored sport utility vehicle, Loriquet said.
The gunman first drove up to a vehicle stopped at a traffic light, police said. He started to speak with the driver, a 23-year-old man from Bridgeport, Conn., before shooting him several times.
The gunman continued driving, then shot to death a 22-year-old Irvington man walking along a sidewalk, police said.
The gunman then passed an Irvington police patrol car, backed up and told the sergeant inside that a shooting had just taken place. He then drew his gun and shot the sergeant while he was sitting in the patrol car, police said.
The Connecticut man drove himself to University Hospital in Newark for treatment. The sergeant was taken by ambulance to a local hospital, where he was treated and released.
Authorities were seeking help from the public as they searched for the gunman. Police did not immediately release the victims' names.
It was the second time in two weeks that an Irvington police officer has been shot. Detective Roman Melenka was shot in the arm on April 10 when a botched robbery at a bodega turned into a shootout.
Sunday's shootings also followed a night of mayhem Friday. In four separate incidents, five people were shot and three others were stabbed in the town, just outside Newark.
