Newark man sentenced to prison for offense related to shooting of 5-year-old girl

NEWARK, NJ — A Newark man was sentenced Dec. 19 to 10 years in prison after being convicted of being a felon in possession of a firearm, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.

Jamar Battle, 31, was previously convicted after a three-day trial before U.S. District Judge William Martini on one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. The jury deliberated two hours before delivering the guilty verdict.

According to documents filed in this case and the evidence at trial, on the evening of July 4, 2018, Battle was involved in an argument with his girlfriend and was waiting for her outside of her home. After she arrived near her home, Battle fired six shots at the car she had been riding in as it pulled away. He did not hit his intended target, but did hit a 5-year-old girl who had been walking with her father after watching a neighborhood fireworks display. The child survived the shooting but suffered a major injury that required immediate medical attention.

Prior to this shooting, Battle had been convicted of six felonies. In 2015, Battle was sentenced to New Jersey State Prison on two firearms offenses and had just been released from prison in May 2018.

In addition to the prison term, Martini sentenced Battle to three years of supervised release.