Teenage Girl Shot, Killed Taking Out Trash in Newark, Other Teen Also Killed

The gunfire came from the street, according to a law enforcement source

A 13-year-old girl taking out the trash on Christmas Day in Newark was shot and killed along with a 15-year-old neighbor boy after gunfire erupted from the street that also critically injured a third child, according to a law enforcement source.

The killings put Newark's homicide count over 100 for 2013, the first year since 2006 the city has reached that mark.

Prosecutors say the children were outside the girl's home on Schley Street in the South Ward around 10 p.m. Wednesday. The source said she was taking out the trash with her 7-year-old brother, who was not struck.

Zainee Hailey, 13, and Kasson Morman, 15, the neighbor, were pronounced dead at the hospital a short time later. A 14-year-old boy was also shot and is in critical condition. 

Authorities said Thursday they had no information about a motive and gave few details about the shooting. The three teens all attend different Newark schools.

The source said Morman lived nearby, and the injured boy was visiting.

The teens were shot not far from where a gunman opened fire outside a go-go bar in Irvington Tuesday, killing the bar owner's son, an employee and another man and wounding two others. 

No arrests have been made in either case.

Newark police had reported 96 homicides citywide through Dec. 8. Five more homicides were reported in the last 10 days, including the Christmas night shootings.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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