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2 dead, 9 wounded in mass shooting at unlicensed block party in Trenton, NJ
By
Michael Sol Warren
Published Aug 30, 2026
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Getty Images/ iStock Editorial / GummyBone
By
Michael Sol Warren
Published Aug 30, 2026
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Two people were killed and eight others were wounded in a mass shooting at an unpermitted block party in Trenton, New Jersey early Sunday, authorities said.
Trenton Mayor Reed Gusciora and the Mercer County Prosecutor’s office said gunfire broke out at about 12:30 a.m. on the 100 block of Locust Street in the city’s East Ward, where an estimated 200 people had gathered for the unlicensed party.
Multiple shooters walked up to the crowd and opened fire, according to the prosecutor’s office.
All of the victims were taken to Capital Health Regional Medical Center, where a 33-year-old woman and 42-year-old man were pronounced dead. Prosecutors on Monday identified the deceased as Anthony Howlett and Tyasiah West, both residents of Trenton.
Gusciora said the man who was killed had recently been honored for “turning his life around” after being released from prison.
“His story is an important reminder of why we do this work,” Gusciora said in a statement. “People can change, people deserve the opportunity to rebuild their lives, and it is especially heartbreaking when a life moving in a different direction is cut short by violence.”
Eight other victims, two women and six men ranging in age from 23 to 43, sustained shooting injuries, according to prosecutors. Four of those victims have been treated and released. Three men, ages 23, 29 and 32, remain hospitalized in critical condition. A 42-year-old woman remains hospitalized in stable condition, prosecutors said.
The shooting remains under investigation. No arrests have been made, and there is no known motive yet. The entire block is considered a crime scene, according to the prosecutor’s office, with more than 50 shell casings recovered.
New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill said state authorities are assisting with the investigation.
“I’m thinking of the families who lost loved ones, those who were injured, and the Trenton community,” Sherrill wrote on social media.
Anyone with information about the shooting can contact Detective Jennifer Eyster with the Mercer County Homicide Task Force at 609-989-6406. Anonymous tips can be submitted online through the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office website.
“If you know something, say something. If you have video, preserve it. If you saw who had a weapon or who fired, provide that information to investigators,” Gusciora said. “Protecting someone responsible for taking a life only puts another family and another neighborhood at risk.”
Gusciora said Trenton authorities will take more proactive measures to prevent such large illegal gatherings, modelling strategies that have been implemented in other cities like for planned large gatherings and having police intervene before crowds grow to a dangerous size.
“This is not about criminalizing people for gathering together,” Gusciora said. “It is about recognizing the difference between a gathering and hundreds of people occupying a residential street without authorization, particularly when firearms and violence become part of that environment.”
Earlier this month in New York City, the NYPD surged cops across Upper Manhattan and closed Dyckman Street in Inwood after rumors swirled online about a “takeover” planned for the area. That came after a different gathering in the same area days before left a man fatally stabbed.
This story has been updated with new information from the Mercer County Prosecutor's Office.
Tagged
new jersey
public safety
Michael Sol Warren
Michael Sol Warren covers New Jersey for WNYC and Gothamist, and previously reported on issues around the Garden State for NJ Spotlight News and NJ Advance Media. He can be reached at [email protected].
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