IRVINGTON, NJ — The township suffered its sixth homicide of the year Saturday, Dec. 9, when Ahmad J. Carson, 33, of Newark, was shot and killed on Myrtle Avenue, shortly after 1 a.m.
On Saturday, Dec. 9, Chief Assistant Prosecutor Thomas S. Fennelly of the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office Homicide Unit announced acting Essex County Prosecutor Robert D. Laurino and Irvington Police Director Tracy Bowers had revealed authorities were investigating an incident in which two males were shot, one fatally, early that morning in Irvington.
“Shortly before 1:30 a.m., Irvington police officers were dispatched to the 300 block of Myrtle Avenue, on a report of a shooting in progress,” said Fennelly on Saturday, Dec. 9. “Arriving officers observed two males sitting within a vehicle. Both males were suffering from apparent gunshot wounds. One of the males was pronounced dead at the scene at 1:44 a.m. He has been identified as Ahmad J. Carson, age 33, of Newark.”
According to Fennelly, the second victim, a 26-year-old Newark resident, was transported to an area hospital, where he was treated for an injury that was not life-threatening.
“The identity of the surviving victim is being withheld for security reasons,” said Fennelly. “This incident is being investigated by the Essex County Prosecutor’s Homicide Task Force, which includes detectives from the Irvington Police Department. The investigation is active and ongoing at this time.”
Carson’s shooting death brings the number of homicides in Irvington this year to six. On Monday, Dec. 4, the township suffered its fifth homicide of the year, when Marco Angamarca-Yupa, 29, of Irvington, was shot and killed on the 800 block of Grove Street, in what authorities believe was a robbery.
According to the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office and Bowers, the other four homicides this year included: Tajmiah Philips, 31, of Newark, who was shot inside her home in the 100 block of Hillside Terrace on Saturday, Feb. 25; Dino Bermudez, 33, of Newark, was shot in the 300 Block of Myrtle Avenue on Friday, May 12; Jawad R. Smith, 22, of Newark, was shot on the 400 block of Grove Street on Saturday, May 27; and Israel L. Washington, 45, of Newark, was shot Monday, Oct. 23.
According to Laurino, the investigation into Washington’s homicide is active and ongoing, but no arrests have been made at this time. The same goes for Phillips, Bermudez, Smith, Angamarca-Yupa and Carson.
Last year, township and county officials said Irvington only had four homicides, although it didn’t register its first homicide until May, with the final three all occurring in October.
Bowers credited the summer success to Mayor Tony Vauss’ commitment to make Irvington cleaner and safer. The mayor, however, said any successful reductions in crime and violence in town on his watch are the results of the hard work, dedication and professionalism of Bowers and the men and women of the Public Safety Division and the Police Division in particular.
“This is all thanks to the extraordinary job that Director Bowers and the Public Safety Division, including former police Director Joseph Santiago, have done,” said Vauss on Tuesday, Oct. 17. “This was the second summer in a row that we’ve had zero homicides. Nobody has gotten killed during the summer. What it means is that we are doing the right things here in Irvington, keeping our community safe. Last year, we had historic numbers.”
Bowers said the goal is to build on the public safety gains the township has made in the last few years and they’re expecting to get help from a new class of officers due to graduate from the Police Academy soon.
“Last year, we had a record low number of reported crime. Now, we are up against our own success,” said Bowers on Tuesday, Sept. 12. “In November 2017 and January 2018, we are planning to add more police officers to the force to replace officers that have retired, as well as those officers who will be retiring in 2018 and 2019.”
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