Man found shot in Trenton alley is city’s 20th homicide of the year

The shooting death of a city man early Wednesday is Trenton’s 20th homicide of 2020.

Trenton police officers found Jahson Phillips, 23, in Niagara Alley in the West Ward when responding to a 12:20 a.m. report of gunfire in the area from the city’s ShotSpotter system. He was suffering from a gunshot wound to the torso, and died a short time later at a city hospital, the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office said.

Phillips lived in the alley, which is behind the 800 block of Edgewood Avenue, the office said.

No arrests or charges were reported, nor were any suspected motives on why Phillips was killed.

Trenton has seen an increase in homicides this year, versus the last several years. The city had 15 murders in 2019 and 16 in 2018, according to New Jersey State Police statistics, after recording 21 in 2016 and 23 in 2017.

This year, the city has suffered from periodic spasms of gun violence - the bulk during state coronavirus stay-at-home orders or a city curfew. Three people were killed on one night in early April, and five people were slain over seven days in May.

Of the 20 killings, 19 have been from gunfire.

Across the state, shooting deaths in New Jersey have increased 19% this year compared to last, and both fatal and non-fatal combined are up 3%, the State Police said Wednesday.

Anyone with information for investigators can call the Mercer County Homicide Task Force at 609-989-6406 or email them at mchtftips@mercercounty.org.

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Kevin Shea may be reached at kshea@njadvancemedia.com.

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