Thread: 1 dead, 22 injured in New Jersey arts festival shooting

1 dead, 22 injured in New Jersey arts festival shooting

By The Associated Press
June 17, 2018 11:18 am

Multiple people were wounded early Sunday, June 17, 2018, when shooting broke out at the Art All Night festival in Trenton...

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — An all-night arts and music festival turned deadly Sunday morning when gunfire erupted in a crowd, sending people stampeding and leaving one suspect dead and 22 people injured, authorities said.

Seventeen people were treated for gunshot wounds, said Mercer County Prosecutor Angelo Onofri. Four of those, including a 13-year-old boy, remain in critical condition late Sunday morning.

Two suspects opened fire around 2:45 a.m. during the Art All Night Trenton festival that showcases local art, music, food and films. One of the suspects, a 33-year-old man, was killed, authorities said. Onofri said he believes police killed him. Another suspect is in custody. Onofri said “neighborhood beef” is behind the shooting inside the historic Roebling Wire Works Building.

On Sunday, there was crime scene tape surrounding the site of the old warehouse that now shares a parking lot with a supermarket, bank and laundry facility.

Police are also investigating an attempted carjacking that occurred in an alley close to the crime scene. Onofri said police are working to determine if it’s connected to the shooting.

Gennie Darisme was at the festival when the shooting occurred, getting ready to leave around 2:45 a.m. when she heard shots and saw people running.

“There were people trampling other people, cars hitting other cars,” she said.

When she was walking back to her car after the shots ceased, Darisme said she saw someone bleeding on the ground, in handcuffs.

“People were running to him, trying to see his face, to see if he’s a family member or a friend,” she said.

Ernie Rivas has owned a shop near the site of the shooting for 17 years and said he came back from the beach Sunday morning when he heard what happened.

“I’ve never seen this happen. It’s bad, I feel bad, especially on Father’s Day,” Rivas said.
Theresa Brown said she’s been volunteering at Art All Night for 12 years and has never seen or heard of violence like this. She said she was leaving her volunteer shift around 2 a.m. and heard “pop, pop, pop.”

“I thought it was a car backfiring,” she said.

She returned to the scene around 7 a.m. and saw the police.

Art All Night Trenton began Saturday afternoon and was scheduled to conclude Sunday afternoon. The remainder of the festival has been cancelled.

“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,” festival organizers posted on social media Sunday.

A spokeswoman for St. Francis Medical Center in Trenton said 10 victims were being treated there for minor injuries. She said they were both men and women, ranging in age from 17 to 48. They were in various stages of being released, she said.

One man with a gunshot wound was transferred to Cooper University Hospital in Camden.

Capital Health Systems spokeswoman Kate Stier said they have “at least 16” patients there, including the 13-year-old boy in critical condition. That total may not include people treated and released.

Trenton Mayor Eric E. Jackson said the violence can’t be “discarded as just random violence; this is a public health issue.”

https://wtop.com/national/2018/06/1-...vent-shooting/

Oh what a shame. Horrible.

And this, apparently, wasn't a deliberate attack, but a spill over that ended up happening in a crowded, peaceful get-together!

It appears that our country, in fact the world, is getting more violent. A difficult solution is to make membership in a gang a crime. But we so worship freedom to assemble, are we willing to take such a step in order to survive?

What are Gang Affiliation Laws?


Many states have enacted laws focusing on gang affiliation to prohibit people from joining such groups. The definition of a gang varies, especially when it comes to youth gangs. In general, a gang is an organization, group, or association of at
least three people. The gang has:

• A common name
• Identifying symbol(s)
• Identifying sign(s)
• Members who actively participate in crimes

Generally speaking, gang affiliation laws target people who might not necessarily be confirmed members of a gang.

However, they might be subject to criminal penalties due to their affiliation with, or association with gangs and gang activity.

For instance, if a person is caught writing graffiti that is associated with a certain gang, that person might be held for questioning regarding their possible membership in that gang.

What are the Federal Laws against Gang Affiliation?

The federal government currently does not have any particular laws against gang affiliation. However, it does prosecute known gang members under the Racketeer Influence and Corrupt Organization (RICO) statute.

Racketeering is defined as operating an unlawful business.

This sort of crime is typically associated with the mafia and organized crime.

Criminal penalties for a RICO conviction are about 20 years in prison and/ or a $25,000 fine. Civil penalties for a RICO criminal conviction depends on the individual or business effected. Compensation is three times the damages suffered.

Thus, participation in a racketeering crime may also involve issues with gang affiliation or gang membership.

Read More About:

• What is Racketeering?
• CA Gang Participation and Promotion of a Felony

Do States Have Gang Affiliation Laws?

Many state legislatures have enacted laws, like California's law on Gang Affiliation Enhancement, that are designed to discourage gang affiliation. The laws attempt to stop:

• Gang Participation: Some states, such as Georgia and Texas, make it unlawful for anyone to form, associate with, or profit from a street gang.
• Wear Gang-Related Apparel:
• Many states have laws that prohibit students in elementary and secondary schools from wearing gang-related apparel while on school grounds. This type of law does not include school uniforms but refers to any type of clothing which indicates gang membership.
• Gang Recruitment: Other states make it illegal for anyone to recruit a person to participate in a criminal gang.
• Florida makes it unlawful for anyone to intentionally cause, solicit, or encourage a person to join a street gang.
• California also has laws to stop people from joining criminal gangs.

Laws governing gang-related apparel can vary widely from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. For instance, some areas may identify the use of certain colors or patterns of clothing as being associated with a particular gang.

Penalties for involvement or accused involvement in any type of organized crime may result years in prison.

https://www.legalmatch.com/law-libra...tion-laws.html

What are Gang Affiliation Laws?

The tools are there. But law enforcement needs to use them, enforce the laws!

ICE Says Over 1,000 Gang Members Arrested in Nationwide Sweep
https://www.nbcnews.com/.../ice-says-over-1-000-gang-members-arrested-nationwide...
May 11, 2017 - ICE Says Over 1,000 Gang Members Arrested in Nationwide Sweep ... 2017

We have violence, gangs, rapes, drugs, shooting on our soil.



NO ASYLUM FOR ANYBODY!

NOT AN EXCUSE TO COME HERE!