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Newark Residents Want Violence To End

NEWARK (CBS) ― There is outrage in Newark tonight over the killings. Much of the anger is coming from -- and being directed at one man -- who has made the war on crime his top priority.

"This is heinous," said Newark Mayor Cory Booker. "This is evil. This should not exist in this country [or] in this city."

Booker took office last year promising to clean up Newark. Since then violent crime is down 16 percent, shootings are down by a third, but none of those numbers matter to those affected by the recent spur of violence.

"This breaks the heart of this city," said Mayor Booker. "It is a blow to every member of this city and we must come together."

But that may be a difficult task. Newark has seen already 60 murders this year. In addition to the execution style murder of four young students, there was another killing less than a mile away.

"That's somebody's kid laying there," said a Newark resident tired of the all the violence. "He's laying there like trash. That's so sad."

"Why the gunshots? Why the violence Why them?" asked Essex County Prosecutor Paula Dow. "They kill for no reason," added the Essex County Sheriff. "That is why we are so frustrated."

Out of fear of retaliation, some Newark residents asked for their names not to be disclosed, but they too are frustrated -- especially with the gunfire at all hours of the night.

"I heard this rapid fire," said one neighbor. "I jumped out of the bed."

"It had to wake up the whole block," added another neighbor. "That's just how loud the shooting was."

Mayor booker called the college students who were killed 'Newark's success stories.' He says he will put everything he has into stopping the violence.

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