6th murder of 2011 with Piscataway man's death; another man shot Sunday night

6th murder victim was shot inside convenience store at West 3rd and Rushmore.

Ricci Askew became Plainfield's sixth murder victim of 2011 when he expired after life support was withdrawn, I have been told over the weekend.

Askew, of Piscataway, was shot in the head while inside the a convenience store at 1348 West 3rd Street early last Wednesday morning. His death has not yet been reported in the media, nor have authorities made a statement concerning upgrading charges against the as-yet-unknown perpetrator.

Sunday witnessed two more gun-related incidents in the city's West End.

An assault rifle was fired Sunday evening on Manson Place, I have been told. Though there were no hits, shell casings have been recovered.

Early Monday morning, a man suffered three gunshot wounds at the Elmwood Gardens complex. No details available yet on how serious the wounds, and whether police have found suspected shooters.

Will post  more details as information becomes available.

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-- Dan Damon [follow]

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Man shot in head, medevaced

1300-block of West 3rd Street (Google).

Violence in Plainfield's West End continued early Wednesday morning when a man was shot in the head in the 1300-block of West 3rd Street.

The critically wounded victim was medevaced to RWJ Medical Center in New Brunswick.

More as details become available.

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-- Dan Damon [follow]

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Shooting Good Friday evening

A man was shot in the arm on Good Friday evening in the West 3rd Street and Halsey Street area. More when info becomes available.

UPDATE SUNDAY AM: The Courier has an online report here; the unnamed and uncooperative victim may lose part of his arm.

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-- Dan Damon [follow]

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Friday night shooting victim medevacked

A shooting incident on East 6th Street near Berckman Street around 10:30 PM Friday resulted in the victim being rushed by medevac to RWJ Medical Center with a single gunshot wound to the chest.

More as information becomes available. The Star-Ledger has an early report on the shooting here.

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-- Dan Damon [follow]

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Violence picks up in Plainfield following 4th homicide, gun summit

Following Plainfield's fourth homicide of 2011, violence has picked up across the city on Thursday.

A reader reports gunfire with a man wounded on Johnston Avenue, near North Avenue, at 12:20 AM Thursday morning. Police arrived very quickly, as did an ambulance and the wounded man was transported to hospital, as police took to searching the neighborhood.

This shooting came just hours after a summit on gun violence and how to deal with it was held at First-Park Baptist Church on Wednesday evening.

The summit, organized by Shiloh Baptist Church's pastor, the Rev. Dr. Gerald Lamont Thomas, drew a crowd of about 150, including religious leaders, elected officials and community activists, as well as Assemblyman Jerry Green, Council President Annie McWilliams and Union County Prosecutor Theodore Romankow. Plans are in the works for a followup to further organize a response to gunplay in the community, according to Councilors Adrian Mapp and Rebecca Williams, who were also in attendance.

Mayor Sharon Robinson-Briggs was noted by her absence, as well as Public Safety Director Martin Hellwig, and Councilors Bill Reid, Bridget Rivers and Vera Greaves.

The violence continued Thursday evening with reports of the following incidents, all before 11:00 PM --

• FIGHTS and report of a person with a gun at Netherwood Village on East Front Street;
  
  
• Male arrested for GUN POSSESSION, carrying two guns in the George Street/Garfield Avenue area;
  
  
• SHOTS FIRED at Liberty and West 3rd Streets, with callers reporting upwards of 20 shots heard; one bullet went into a home.

With Mayor Robinson-Briggs showing little recent interest in the hard work of developing a plan to attack the continuing gun violence, we can only be thankful that Pastor Thomas organized the summit and is willing to take the lead in mobilizing the community.

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-- Dan Damon [follow]

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Gunplay: Shots fired at three Tuesday night

The area is no stranger to drug-related violence.

The lull in Plainfield's gun violence was broken Tuesday evening as three individuals are reported having been shot at in the 1000-block of West 3rd Street.

The block is in the area of a longtime Plainfield drug dealing 'hot spot', West 3rd Street and Monroe Avenue.

Details as they emerge.

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-- Dan Damon [follow]

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BREAKING: Two shot in Plainfield early Saturday

Plainfield started off the weekend with two Hispanic males being shot near West Front and Central Avenue just after 4:00 AM.

I am told one was hit twice, in the back and abdomen; the other was shot in the hand.

Gun violence involving Hispanics has been relatively rare until recently, and I am told is associated with turf wars between the MS-13 and Latin Kings gangs.

More as info develops.

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-- Dan Damon [follow]

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UPDATE: Details on 2nd homicide of 2011

UPDATE SUNDAY EVENING: The Courier has posted a story identifying the victim as Shawne Lovely of Plainfield Avenue, with further details (see here). Plainfield witnessed two shootings overnight Saturday of the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday weekend, one of them the second homicide of 2011 in as many weeks.

A 16-year-old male was shot multiple times on John Street just after midnight. He was pronounced dead at RWJ Medical Center after being transported there.

This follows the shooting of another male on Berckman Street in the East End around 9:30 PM Saturday evening.

Don't know condition of victims or if the two shootings are related.

More as information becomes available.

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-- Dan Damon [follow]

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UPDATED: Two shot in Plainfield overnight Saturday, one now a homicide

Got word of two Plainfield shootings overnight Saturday.

First, at approximately 1:44 AM near 310 West Front Street. Single victim, two gunshot wounds, one to chest. CPR performed while awaiting EMTs. 'Doesn't look good'. Site is in vicinity of El Palacio bar and across street from Pueblo Viejo, both of which have had prior incidents. [UPDATE, 11:15 AM: Victim died, is first homicide of Union County in 2011. See breaking Ledger story here.]

Second shooting at approximately 2:40 AM in 400-block of West Seventh Street. Hispanic male, gunshot to leg.

Not known if two incidents are related.

More as news becomes available.

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-- Dan Damon [follow]

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Update on 2011's first shooting: Of gangstas and angels

The victim of Plainfield's first shooting of 2011 is clinging to life, I am told.

I have also been told the incident is gang-related, which comes as no surprise concerning the circumstances.

Any time two guys approach someone pulling into a driveway and shoot him nine times, you can suspect more than idle gunplay.

Sounds to me like the victim was set up to be bushwhacked.

It is jarring to have a gang-related shooting set cheek-by-jowl with Mayor Robinson-Briggs' comment that 'too many of our angels have seen their lives cut short', which she had just made as my cellphone went off with text messages about the shooting.

Is it time for Plainfield to have a serious conversation about the relation of 'gangstas' and 'angels'?

Or putting police in the untenable position of being seen as a force for law and order and by some as disrespectful occupiers by others?

Will Mayor Robinson-Briggs, our conversationalist-in-chief, lead such a palaver?

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-- Dan Damon [follow]

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Man shot as mayor delivers 'State of City' address

Plainfield's first shooting of 2011 took place in the Netherwood area
as Mayor Robinson-Briggs delivered her 'State of the City' address.

Plainfield police and EMTs were scrambling to save the life of a man shot multiple times in the Netherwood neighborhood as Mayor Sharon Robinson-Briggs was delivering her 'State of the City Address' at the City Council's reorganization meeting Monday evening.

My cellphone began receiving a string of text messages shortly after Robinson-Briggs said 'too many of our angels have seen their lives cut short' and called for a moment of silence in memory of those slain in 2010.

It soon became clear the shooting had happened in the 1100-block of East 7th Street, and that a medevac had been summoned to Maxson Middle School across the corner to airlift the critically wounded man to RWJ.

The number of wounds suffered by the victim was first texted to me as three, then five, and finally nine (as also reported by Mark Spivey in the Courier here, and Bernice at Plaintalker II here).

Spivey left the Council meeting after the mayor's address, and told me an hour or so later that he was filing a story on the shooting.

Mayor Robinson-Briggs, saying that in 'the past few years I have presented an insurmountable amount of information' in her State of the City addresses, told Monday's audience that after seeing how it is done in Piscataway (in 12 minutes, no less!), she would be briefer this year and would have her full presentation handed out.

I hope that it is on the city's website shortly.

Meanwhile, the Council reorganization went smoothly in an atmosphere of general bonhomie.

Newly elected Councilor Rebecca Williams and re-elected Council Bill Reid were both sworn in.

Reid chose to have Assemblyman Jerry Green swear him in, to which Judge Joan Robinson-Gross -- apparently surprised by the move -- graciously gave way. Reid's public remarks closed with a paean to Assemblyman Green, to which there was a smattering of applause from the packed courtroom.

Judge Robinson-Gross then administered the affirmation of Councilor Williams, who was surrounded by Councilor Adrian Mapp and his wife Amelia, Councilor Cory Storch and friend Bobby Gregory. Rebecca was welcomed with hearty applause from the many friends and supporters who were present.

Annie McWilliams was again elected Council president and Adrian Mapp was voted chair of the committee of the whole. Their excellent teamwork this past year was refreshing, and we may expect more of the same from this duo in 2011.

Resolutions of thanks for the service of Linda Carter, who departs the Council to become a Union County Freeholder; and former Councilor Rashid Burney were read into the record. Linda made brief remarks thanking Plainfield residents for their support over the years, but especially in the past general election.

Other resolutions made routine appointments and parceled out 24-hour vehicles.

Despite a call from Dr. Harold Yood to go back to the old schedule of two business meetings a month, the Council adopted a 2011 meeting schedule of one business meeting per month, with Councilors Mapp and Williams voting 'no', in support of Dr. Yood's proposal.

Deputy Clerk 'AJ' Jalloh handled his duties of presiding over the meeting until the election of the Council president with aplomb, not even appearing to break a sweat. Well done.

Missing from the evening's business were various other matters usually routinely dealt with at the reorganization -- designation of bank depositories, and delegations of Councilors to various and sundry duties, such as the Joint Insurance Fund and Board of Ed, PMUA and Housing Authority liaisons. Am assuming these will be taken up anon.

While the meeting seemed to get the City off on a good footing for the New Year, the shooting on the very night of the reorganization reminds one and all of the weighty matters that still face the Robinson-Briggs administration in 2011.

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• Courier:  "Police investigate first shooting of 2011"
• Plaintalker II:  "Gun violence opens new year"
  

-- Dan Damon [follow]

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Drive-by shooting Tuesday night caps weekend of gunplay

Elmwood Gardens, site of much gunplay.

Plainfield was given no holiday reprieve from gunfire and gunplay.

Reports of shots fired over the Christmas weekend were capped by getting word yesterday that Elmwood Gardens was once again the scene of violence.

Was told that two cars were in involved in a drive-by shooting incident overnight Tuesday, in which shots were fired at people outside one of the buildings, causing folks to scramble for cover in the snow.

No one was hit, but the crime scene unit found plenty of shell casings.

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UPDATE: Saturday Crime Scene: Homicide at Kennedy Fried Chicken

Yellow crime scene tape marked area at 5th & Park early this A.M.

UPDATE: Courier story online at -- "Plainfield man, 25, fatally shot outside Kennedy Fried Chicken".

UPDATE @ 10:22 AM: It's a homicide. No further information yet.
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Another Plainfield crime, but what is it?

On my way back from getting the papers early this AM, spotted a Plainfield police car parked astride East 5th Street at the Park Avenue intersection, shooing folks away from a yellow-taped crime scene.

Two vehicles from the Union County Sheriff's Crime Scene Investigation Unit were parked on the street in front of Kennedy Fried Chicken.

Stabbing? Shooting? Robbery?

My guess is shooting, looking for shell casings.

Will post more info as/if it becomes available.

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-- Dan Damon [follow]

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UPDATE UPDATED: Shootings: Eastside, Westside...and a robbery

Several shooting incidents in past few days, Eastside and Westside...

Updating the shootings situation...
The media have updated info on ONE of the shooting incidents -- see the Courier (here) and the Ledger (here), for the rest, read on...

Besides the shooting in the 600-block of East 6th Street reported last night (see here), I now am told there were gunshots fired in the neighborhood of East 7th and Richmond Streets on TUESDAY night, according to an off-duty firefighter.

Were the two incidents connected?

What do you think?

Thursday night, there were TWO separate incidents of shots fired in the area of 120 Elmwood Place, the side street of the Elmwood Gardens housing.

And it's not even the weekend yet.

Hear this evening there was a robbery of an Hispanic man at East 6th and  Richmond by two black males.

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-- Dan Damon [follow]

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Man shot Thursday morning

I am told a man was shot in the back early Thursday morning in the 600-block of East 6th Street.

No further information yet.

-- Dan Damon

BREAKING: Fatal shooting mid-afternoon Thursday

A 17-year-old was shot in the face shortly before 3 PM at West Front and Clinton.

A truant Plainfield High School student (the Courier identifies him as Spencer Cadogan -- 6:00 PM) was shot in the face shortly before 3:00 PM this afternoon at the corner of West Front Street and Clinton Avenue.

The 17-year-old was transported from the scene by the Plainfield Rescue Squad to the Muhlenberg SED, where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

I am told police are treating the shooting as gang-related.

I happened to be in the area taking photographs at the time and was asked by a police officer if I had seen 'a guy in a  blue jacket'. Plainfield and Union County police responded to the area, blocking off the crime scene and diverting traffic to Myrtle Avenue.

An undercover police vehicle was seen patrolling the paths in Green Brook Park looking for the suspect and three police vehicles were parked along the road near the park's playground.

After being chased away by a female cop who said, 'You don't look like family to me, so you'll have to leave', I learned that police were at the parking lot across from Muhlenberg, interviewing those who showed up at the hospital.

A resident phoned as I am writing this to say that a State Police helicopter is reconnoitering the area.

This is the sixth homicide in 2010.

Spoke with Mark Spivey, who was on his way to the scene. Look for further news on the Courier website later.

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-- Dan Damon [follow]

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Double shooting Tuesday evening

Last night's double shooting was in Elmwood Gardens.

A Plainfield Today reader reported hearing on the police scanner last evening of a double shooting in the area of 544 West Second Street just before 10:00 PM, said on the scanner to be a man and a woman.

I was later told that the incident involved two women, both shot in the face, and both of whom refused medical treatment.

This is the same Elmwood Gardens neighborhood which has figured prominently in both the street drug trafficking and the gang feud that has gripped Plainfield over the past several months.

Elmwood Gardens is also the group of buildings the Housing Authority of Plainfield proposes to raze and replace with lower density housing.

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-- Dan Damon [follow]

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Plainfield sees two shooting incidents Halloween weekend

Locations of gunshots over Halloween weekend.

With Halloween weekend not over yet, Plainfield has seen two shooting incidents so far.

On Friday evening, shots were fired at the Allen apartment complex at Myrtle and Clinton Avenues. No one was hit, but at least one window was damaged. Shell casing were found in the area, I am told, as well as a handgun being recovered.

About 2:15 AM Saturday morning, residents were awakened by gunfire near Albert Street and West Front Street, according to one reader who called the police. Nothing more is known about that incident.

It is noted that this is the area which generated concern about being included in the proposed gunshot-detection technology proposal which has since been shelved because of Plainfield's fiscal situation.

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BREAKING: Gang wars continue with victimless shootings

At least two unreported shootings since last Thursday show Plainfield's gang warfare continues -- even if victimless for the moment.

Thursday evening I am told there was gunfire at Prescott Place and West 3rd Street, with two males being shot at though not hit. Shell casings were found at the scene.

Last evening -- Monday -- three males were shot at in the vicinity of Clinton and Myrtle Avenues. None of the intended victims was hit, but again shell casings were found at the scene.

The second shooting occurred in a neighborhood that was at the center of an uproar over the proposed gunshot-spotting technology which the Administration has had to table in light of the city's current fiscal situation.

Police regard both areas as gang territories as evidenced by gang activity.

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-- Dan Damon [follow]

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Shooting overnight Saturday

Received word of a man shot and wounded in the 500-block of West 3rd Street Saturday evening.

This is the West End Gardens neighborhood which has been the site of many of this year's shooting incidents and two of this year's five homicides, one in a West End Gardens parking lot and another at Plainfield Avenue and West 4th Street. (1 PM: This corrects my original post, which inadvertently referred to Grant Avenue instead of Plainfield Avenue -- dd.)

The shooting comes on the heels of a community forum led by Plainfield Mayor Sharon Robinson-Brggs on Thursday at Shiloh Baptist Church, a block away from the shooting site.

Residents expressed strong concerns with what is being done to combat crime, according to a report by reporter Mark Spivey appearing in the Sunday Courier (see here).

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-- Dan Damon [follow]

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