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Twenty people were injured and one person was killed after gunfire broke out during a 24-hour arts festival in Trenton, New Jersey. Officials have confirmed that sixteen of those injured during the incident suffered gunshot wounds. At this time, four of the victims, including a 13-year-old boy, were said to be in critical condition.
Irving Higginbotham
One victim of the shooting was identified as Irving Higginbotham; in a statement with 6abc, he gave the following account of the shooting:
“Everybody was having a nice time. The next thing you know, there were gunshots, got shot in the leg, fell on the ground, and that was it.”
What happened?
Authorities have identified at least two suspects in the shooting. One, a 33-year-old man, had lost his life. Police say that multiple individuals opened fire during the incident and there could be other suspects.
On Facebook, an account associated with the event issued the following statement:
“It’s with great regret that we announce that the remainder of Art All Night has been cancelled due to a tragic incident that occurred overnight [sic].”
“We’re still processing much of this and we don’t have many answers at this time but please know that our staff, our volunteers, our artists and musicians all seem to be healthy and accounted for. Our sincere, heartfelt sympathies are with those who were injured [sic].”
“We know there are a lot of questions and a lot of speculation at this point. We’re still trying ourselves to piece this entire situation together. What we do know is that we are currently unable to release any submitted artwork that is currently inside the Roebling Wire Works building. That being said, we promise you we’ll be in touch as soon as we have more questions we information on this. We truly appreciate your understanding and patience during this incredibly difficult and confusing situation.”
“We’re very shocked. We’re deeply saddened. Our hearts ache and our eyes are blurry but our dedication and resolve to building a better Trenton through community, creativity and inspiration will never fade. Not tonight. Not ever.”
Trenton resident Angelo Nicolo, who was a witness to the incident, issued the following account:
“I saw two police officers escort a guy that got shot in the leg; they bandaged him up and whisked him away before the ambulance came here. It was pretty gnarly.”
UPDATE: According to 6ABC, the number of victims was updated to 22. A male victim suffered a grazed gunshot wound and a female victim was hiding behind a vehicle that took off, causing her to be thrown, enduring bruising to her scalp.
As this story is developing, more information will be updated as made available.
