Four teens were arrested in a shootout that killed a 15-year-old boy and injured two other bystanders near a motorcycle blessing event in Newark on Mother's Day, authorities say.
The four teens, 19, 18, 17 and 16, were arrested this week following the shootout that resulted in the death of Al-Shakeen Woodson, who was caught in the crossfire between the teens after attending a motorcycle blessing event hosted by the Newark Knights Motorcycle Club.
Two of the teens -- the 19-year-old and the 16-year-old -- face first-degree murder charges in Woodson's death. All four teens face weapons charges.
Authorities say the shooting stemmed from a high school dispute going back to the teens' freshman years. The 19-year-old and 16-year-old traded fire with the other two teens, and at some point, they shot Woodson and two other bystanders. The 19-year-old was also shot, authorities say.
"They took (this dispute) to another level ... leading to the senseless and tragic killing of this young man who had nothing to do with this dispute," Carolyn Murray, the acting prosecutor for Essex County, said at a news briefing Friday.
Woodson was pronounced dead at an area hospital after the shooting; the 19-year-old and two other bystanders were treated for minor injuries.
"This child was out trying to enjoy himself on an afternoon, and it turned deadly," Newark Mayor Ras Baraka said.
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Murray and Baraka said that authorities were able to track down the teens with the help of tips from the community.
Baraka said the community involvement flies in the face of what he called a "no snitching" mentality that is sometimes ascribed to Newark.
"The community was, rightfully so, outraged by what happened," he said. "The community came together, along with the fine police work, to make these arrests."
