Update as of 11:27PM: Mayor Fulop has tweeted the following:
Based on our initial investigation (which is ongoing) we now believe the active shooters targeted the location they attacked. Due to an excess of caution the community may see additional police resources in the days/weeks ahead. We have no indication there are any further threats. See his full tweet here.
Update as of 6:08PM: Officer Joe Seals IDed as one of the victims of the shooting. Police preliminarily identified two male shooters as suspects. The shooting started at a nearby cemetery and escalated to MLK Drive. Police said they did not see any evidence of a hate crime, per the press release.
Update as of 4:41PM: Mayor Fulop has tweeted that Jersey City schools will be systematically released from lockdown. See more from his feed here.
Update as of 4:37PM: One police officer was killed and two others were shot amid active shooter standoff Tuesday. All public schools in Jersey City were shut down by early afternoon, and students remained in place into the evening. The two suspects were shot and killed, as were three other civilians who were inside a bodega where the shooters fled. As many as six people may be dead — including a police officer, two suspects and three civilians — during an “ambush” active shooter situation, officials and law enforcement sources said.
Update as of 3:33PM: One officer killed in Jersey City shooting.
Update as of 12:30PM: An active shooter situation is currently unfolding in Jersey City on Tuesday, December 10th, reports of two people firing out of a bodega at 223 Martin Luther King Drive have been picked up by national news sources like CNN and NBC.
The situation is unfolding as we speak, but CNN is reporting that at least two police officers have been shot in the incident. The FBI confirmed “more than one officer has been shot,” but there has not been official confirmation on the officers’ conditions. Here’s what we know so far.
We need a lot of prayers right now for Jersey City officers. Keep all those involved in your thoughts.
— New Jersey State PBA (@NJSPBA) December 10, 2019
Here’s What We Know
Patch reports that one of the officers was shot in Bayview Cemetery. The other police officer was believed to have been hit near Martin Luther King Drive and Bidwill Avenue. Other reports say the gunfire started from the JC Kosher Supermarket storefront on MLK Drive and that one person was believed to be shot either inside the store or right outside of it, but details are still hazy.
Multiple police units are on the scene, including the New York Police Department and the Newark Field Office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives confirmed via Twitter that Newark officers were also responding to the ongoing incident in Jersey City. It has been reported that several SWAT teams are also on the scene.
Breaking: @ATF_Newark Agents responding to reports of an active shooter in Jersey City, NJ. pic.twitter.com/lC48sne5ov
— ATF Newark (@ATF_Newark) December 10, 2019
Every single public school in Jersey City is currently on lockdown. At this time, parents are unable to retrieve their children from school.
“All students and staff are safe, however, a number of schools are currently on lock down,” the Jersey City school district tweeted. The Bayonne Board of Education also confirmed via Twitter that their public schools are in lockdown as well.
What Happened?
It may have started at the Cemetery, where police officers allegedly approached the gunmen regarding an ongoing homicide investigation in Jersey City. One police officer was shot in the head and remains in grave condition. The two gunmen fled via automobile to MLK Drive where a shoot-out ensued.
Sources say the two gunmen showed up to the bodega on MLK Drive in a U-Haul van. The U-Haul was apparently stocked with firearms and the gunmen walked into the bodega “carrying long guns.”
NBC 4 reports that multiple police officers were shot in what is being called “an ambush,” and that the gunmen were firing at anyone they saw on the streets.
Intel says at least more than one police officer has been shot, but there may have been civilians who were hit as well.
According to NBC, as of 2:58 PM, both shooters are down. However, live police officers have not yet entered the building to confirm. Instead, NBC reports that police are using a robot to send it into the bodega to make sure the situation is “neutralized,” both shooters are actually down, and the surrounding areas are now safe.
Today is a horrific day. Officers have come under attack and we have several wounded. Our hearts are heavy and the violence is not over.
We need prayers.
— New Jersey State PBA (@NJSPBA) December 10, 2019
It is believed that at least two more people inside the store are injured.
What’s Happening Now?
Jersey City police immediately descended on the scene and advised everyone on the streets to lockdown and get inside.
While the condition of the hit police officers and civilians is currently unconfirmed, NBC is reporting that one police officer was shot in the head and maybe in grave condition. Reports say there are currently four people still inside the bodega.
https://twitter.com/YosefRapaport/status/1204480247493738497?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1204480247493738497&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nj.com%2Fhudson%2F2019%2F12%2Fone-police-officer-shot-as-gunman-open-fires-on-mlk-drive-in-jersey-city.html
While current reports are saying that the two shooters are “down,” that does not mean “dead.” This could mean the shooters are wounded, neutralized, or otherwise. Their conditions have yet to be confirmed.
Around 3:01 PM, despite reports of both shooters being down, another explosive-sound — unconfirmed whether it was a gunshot or an explosive of another kind — was captured on live TV. Reports say this could be because of the robot that was sent into the bodega. Sometimes, officers will use the robot to confirm casualties but also to detonate an explosion just in case one of the active shooters was, in fact, still alive.
This is an ongoing story that we will continue to update as those updates become available.
Got a news tip? Let us know — email us at hello@hobokengirl.com. We appreciate it.
