Newark Police Arrest Suspected Gunman In Fatal Downtown Shooting

NEWARK, NJ — Newark police have arrested the suspected gunman in a fatal shooting that took place in one of the busiest business districts in the city last week, authorities said.

Jahid Nelson, 21, of Newark, was arrested on June 6 and charged with the murder of Terrence J. Wilson, 26, also of Newark, according to a joint statement from the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office and the Newark Department of Public Safety.

Wilson was shot at a retail establishment at 171 Market Street at 9:44 a.m. on Tuesday, June 4, police said.

Emergency responders transported Wilson to Rutgers University Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 11:04 a.m. on June 4.

Police arrested Nelson at the Garden State Motor Lodge in Union on June 5. He was subsequently charged with murder, conspiracy to commit murder, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose and unlawful possession of a weapon.

Acting Essex County Prosecutor Theodore Stephens called Wilson’s murder a “brazen act of violence in the middle of the day in the busiest business district in the city.”

“Violence anywhere in the city is unacceptable but this event is particularly concerning,” Stephens said.

The Essex County Prosecutor’s Office Homicide/Major Crimes Task Force, which includes detectives from the Newark Police Department is conducting an ongoing investigation. Other arrests are possible, authorities said.

Nelson is currently being held at the Essex County Correctional Facility in Newark.

Newark Mayor Ras Baraka issued the following statement about the murder and subsequent arrest:

“I want to applaud the officers of the Newark Police Division working in conjunction with the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office for their dedicated and effective work to solve this homicide. This shooting was not characteristic of our downtown. Millions of people pass through Broad and Market Streets on their way to or from work or school safely each year. In addition, hundreds of thousands of patrons of New Jersey Performing Arts Center and Prudential Arena visit our downtown each year without incident. Crimes like this unfortunately fuel a false and outdated narrative of Newark. Homicides are down nearly 20 percent in last two years. Until this shooting, there have been three homicides in the downtown area since 2012.”

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