Jersey City Police Car

Beginning on Monday, Jersey City was beset by a rash of shootings, in one case leaving a man in critical condition.

The Jersey Journal reported that a total of five shootings took place over the two days. The Jersey City Times was able to independently confirm two of them, which both occurred yesterday.

In one incident yesterday, a man was left in critical condition after being shot in the head. The shooting occurred at around 11 p.m. in the vicinity of 127 Bidwell Ave. in Greenville. In the second incident at approximately 3:30 p.m. multiple shots were fired near Gardner Ave.  Several shell casings were recovered.

Mayoral spokesperson Kimberly Wallace-Scalcione told the Journal that on Monday there were three shooting incidents.

Based upon the Journal’s reporting, it is unclear whether the Journal first learned of the incidents from Wallace-Scalcione or independently.

Ever since May 2021 when the Jersey City Times published a report showing that despite the mayor’s claims, crime rates went up during the administration’s first six years, neither Wallace-Scalcione nor Mayor Fulop have responded to the Jersey City Times’ questions.

As reported by the Journal, according to Wallace-Scalcione, at approximately 2:15 a.m., police discovered a 57-year-old Jersey City man on Garfield Avenue between Dwight Street and Fulton Avenue with a gunshot wound to his right foot. According to Wallace-Scalcione, the man  was uncooperative with police and  was treated at a local hospital.

Approximately 45 minutes later, police were called  to Jersey City Medical Center after a  31-year-old from Manhattan man arrived with a gunshot wound to the left foot. According to Wallace-Scalcione and as reported bye the Journal, he told police that he was shot in New York.

At approximately 3:35 p.m., an 18-year-old man was taken to a local hospital after being shot in the right leg near Martin Luther King Drive and Stevens Avenue.

Cities around the country have experienced a surge in gun violence over the last two years.

The extent of crime generally, and shootings in particular, in Jersey City is unknown. Without explanation, the Fulop administration stopped publishing monthly CompStat crime data in June of 2019.

New York City residents, by contrast, have access to fresh crime data, including shootings, from weekly CompStat reports posted on the city’s website.

Aaron is a writer, musician and lawyer. Aaron attended Berklee College of Music and the State University of New York at Purchase. Aaron served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Ecuador. He received a J.D....