Top Stories

Irvington Shooting Spree Leaves 1 Dead, 2 Wounded

IRVINGTON, N.J. (AP) ― Irvington authorities on Sunday were searching for a single gunman they said was responsible for a string of shootings that killed one man and wounded two others, including a police sergeant.

The three shootings took place within minutes—and within the same general area—at about 3 a.m. Sunday, said Essex County Prosecutor's Office spokesman Paul Loriquet.

In at least two cases, there were reports of a gunman fleeing in a light-colored sport utility vehicle, Loriquet said.

The gunman, according to a police department news release, first drove up to a vehicle stopped at a traffic light. He started to speak with the driver, a 23-year-old man from Bridgeport, Conn., before shooting him several times.

The gunman then continued driving and shot to death a 22-year-old Irvington man walking along a sidewalk, police said.

The gunman, according to police, then passed an Irvington police patrol car. He backed up. He told the sergeant inside, a 24-year police veteran, that a shooting had just taken place. He then drew his gun and shot the sergeant.

The Connecticut man drove himself to University Hospital in Newark for treatment. The sergeant was taken by ambulance to the hospital, where he was treated and released.

Authorities were seeking help from the public as they searched for the gunman. They weren't immediately releasing the names of the victims.

It was the second time in two weeks that a member of the Irvington police force has been shot. Detective Roman Melenka was shot in the arm on April 10 when a botched robbery at a bodega turned into a shootout.

Sunday's shootings also followed a night of mayhem on Friday. In four separate incidents, five people were shot and three others were stabbed in the town, just outside Newark.

(© 2008 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

---